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UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 



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. . THE . . 



Spiritual Exercises 



OF AN . . 



EIGHT DAYS' RETREAT. 



IRRANGED FOR GENERAL USE 

. . BY THE . . 

REV. BONAVENTURE HAMMER, 0. S. F. 



With a Recommendation of the 
MOST REV. JOHN J. KAIN, 

Archbishop-Coadjutor and Administrator. 

ST. I,OUIS, MO.: ■■■ ■!^v^V• '•^- V 

PUBIvISHED BY B. HERDER, jJ. 14 Y/ A I 

17 South Broadway. ^ rj jt ^ / 

1895. . QUO^ 



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7' 



^^^ Congress 



IMPRIMATUR. 
t John Jos. Kain, 
Archbishop-Coadjutor aud Administrator. 
Sf. Louis, May 2otJi, iSg^. 



NIHIL OBSTAT. 
Fr. Petrus Bapt. Exglert, O. S. F., 
Minister Proviucialis. 
Cincinnati y O., die ii. Matiii i8g^. 

Copyright. 18P5, by Jos. Gummersbach. 



BCCKTOLO It Co. , 

PRINTERS AND BINDERS. 

ST. LOUIS, MO. 



<^ St. Louis, Mo., May 20th, 1895. 



I 



B. HERDER, 



f^ ST. LOUIS, MO. 

ai 

Dear Sir: 

P 

^ In addition to the formal Imprima- 

tur given to the excellent work of Rev. Bonaventure 
Hammer, 0. S. F., entitled: ^^The Spiritual Exercises 
of an Eight Days^ Retreat,''^ we wish to commend this 
book in a special manner to the Rev. Clergy and 
Religious, as well as to the pious laity, as a safe guide 
in those important matters which concern the souVs 
dearest interests. 

Yours truly, 

t JOHN J. KAIN, 
Archbishop-Coadjutor and Administrator. 



CONTENTS. 



Page. 

Preface 7 

Introduction 11 

Preparatory Meditation : I. On the Spirit in which to 

enter the Retreat 17 

Points of Meditation for next Morning : II. On Spir- 
itual Recollection 29 

First Day. 
Meditation during the Forenoon : III. On the End of 

Man 31 

Spiritual Reading : IV. Our Duty towards God 37 

Afternoon Conference : V. On Self-Knowledge 41 

Evening Meditation : VI. On the Importance of Sal- 
vation 47 

Points of Meditation for next Morning : VII. Recapi- 
tulation of the preceding Meditation 58 

Second Day. 

Meditation during the Forenoon: VIII. On Mortal Sin 59 

Spiritual Reading : IX. Religion in daily Life 66 

Afternoon Conference : X. On the Virtue of Humility 71 

Evening Meditation : XI. On Death 78 

Points of Meditation for next Morning : XII. Eternity 85 

Third Day. 

Meditation during the Forenoon : XIII. Venial Sin.... 86 

Spiritual Reading : XIV. Purity of Intention 95 

Afternoon Conference : XV. On Temptations 102 

Evening Meditation : XVI. On Judgment 108 

Points of Meditation for next Morning : XVII. Re- 
capitulation of the preceding Meditation 116 

Fourth Day. 
Meditation during the Forenoon : XVIII. On Con- 
fession 117 

Spiritual Reading : XIX. Vigilance 125 

Afternoon Conference : XX. Causes of Relapse 128 

Evening Meditation : XXI. On Hell 136 

Points of Meditation for next Morning : XXII. Re- 
capitulation 146 



CONTENTS. 

Fifth Day. Page, 

Meditation during the Forenoon : XXIII. On the 

Sacred Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ 148 

Spiritual Reading : XXIV. On the Love of God 157 

Afternoon Conference : XXV. On Holy Communion.. 162 

Evening Meditation : XXVI. On Heaven 166 

Points of Meditation for next Morning : XXVII. Re- 
capitulation 170 

Sixth Day. 
Meditation during the Forenoon : XXVIII. On the 

Holy Sacrifice of the Mass 172 

Spiritual Reading: XXIX. On the Exercise of the 

Presence of God 179 

Afternoon Conference : XXX. On Charity 182 

Evening Meditation : XXXI. On the Sacred Heart of 

Jesus 186 

Points of Meditation for next Morning : XXXII. Re- 
capitulation 192 

Seventh Day. 

Meditation during the Forenoon : XXXIII. On Prayer x94 

Spiritual Reading : XXXIV. On the good Use of Time 201 

Afternoon Conference : XXXV. On Self-denial 204 

Evening Meditation : XXXVI. On Devotion to the 

Blessed Virgin Mary 208 

Points of Meditation for next Morning: XXXVII. 

Recapitulation 213 

Eighth Day. 
Meditation during the Forenoon : XXXVIII. Growth 

in Holiness 214 

Spiritual Reading : XXXIX. Curiosity a Temptation 

to Sin 219 

Afternoon Conference : XL. The Power of the Will.... 223 

Final Meditation : XLI. On Perseverance 227 

Appendix. 
I. Method of Assisting at Holy Mass. By St. Leon- 
ard of Port Maurice 233 

II. Three methods o^ Prayer, recommended by St. 

Ignatius 238 

III. St. Bonaventure's Maxims of Piety 243 

rV. St. Bonaventure's Exhortation on the Imitation 

of Christ 268 



PREFACE. 

But few people in the world understand what a 
spiritual retreat means. To separate one's self 
from family, friends and business in order to treat 
with God in holy solitude on the affairs of eternity, 
on the world which is to come, seems to the majority 
of men useful at most for religious. Have, then, 
people of the world not to think of religious truths? 
Are these subjects for the devout only? Can a man 
of the world say, ''I am perfect, what more do you 
want of me?" Well, suppose he might say so: 
this conclusion would only be the result of a serious 
self -consideration. Now this serious self-consider- 
ation of one's soul is the work, the object of a 
spiritual retreat. 

Is it asking even the business man too much to 
lay aside for a few days his daily cares to settle the 
only necessary affair for which alone he is in the 
world ; to see to and consider his eternal interests'? 
Moreover, will not our very temporal affairs draw 
profit from the retreat ? Is it not true that patience, 
freedom of mind, and self-control are great elements 
of success ? Are there not moments in the lives of 
business men, when there is the greatest need of 
resignation and courage in order to avoid falling 
into despair ? This courage, this confiding hope is 
the fruit of a spiritual retreat. 

It is true, we have at times in i^arishes the 
ordinary public mission exercises — excellent in- 
deed as far as they go. But are the fruits thereof 
complete ? On leaving the church, business affairs 



8 PEEFACE. 

beset us, absorb our time, and leave us not a 
moment for reflection on the great truths we have 
been hurriedly listening to. We are answered that 
assiduous attention to business is a duty, a pro- 
fessional obligation; that there is also a duty a 
man owes to his family, and that this is more 
imperative even than the former. Granted — but 
should not one examine from time to time how 
these duties are discharged ? Are these duties so 
easy, that for the worthy fulfilling of the same 
there is no need either of supernatural grace, nor 
heavenly light, nor fortitude from above 1 Would 
a few days consecrated to all this be judged to be 
too long a time I 

Each year some unforeseen circumstance imposes 
on us the necessity of temporarily interrupting our 
business — an illness, a death, a voyage, or some 
family event. Could we not also interrupt it for a 
spiritual retreat ? Would our affairs prosper less 
for it ^ Is not God the origin and end of all things? 
Is it not He who illumines all intelligence ? Is not 
He the Eewarder of all humble and sincere faith ? 
Does He not promise special mercy to those who 
seek first, above all things else. His kingdom and 
His justice ? — Besides, death is most certain, the 
time thereof most uncertain. This very year may 
be our last here below. What a happiness to have 
made the preparation in a good retreat ! 

If you yet wish to object, say candidly that you 
fear a retreat, because it would do you more good 
than you wish for ; but do not say, ^^What use is 
a retreat ? " for you surely know how beneficial it 
is. Say neither, ''I have no time;" for a retreat 



PREFACE. 9 

is more necessary for you than for many others, 
for you who, in the midst of the fever of business 
excitement, find no time for reflection on eternity, 
for you whose occupations, centered on what is 
merely visible and alluring in this world, so tend 
to captivate the mind and heart that you are in 
special danger of losing sight of the invisible but 
great realities of your eternal interests ; for you, 
who have in so many ways the responsibility of 
those in your employ ; for you, who have need of 
so many and strong graces to persevere in charity 
and justice. 

The days of a spiritual retreat, where the special 
light of Heaven awaits you, are the spiritual foun- 
tains in which you find the inestimable gift an- 
nounced by the angels ''to men of good will," that 
''peace on earth" which God alone can give. 

Although there are many excellent books which 
present the eternal truths of religion and the means 
for a sincere amendment of life in a series of medi- 
tations useful for a retreat, yet a work that reduces 
to practice all the principal spiritual exercises of 
such a holy time of retirement and recollection 
does not seem suiDcrfluous. 

The pious reader will perceive that this little 
volume not only presents to his mind meditations 
proper, but also spiritual readings and conferences. 
Due attention was given to draw from approved 
sources, and to present everything in a manner 
calculated to promote the principal object of the 
spiritual exercises, which is, not only to stimulate 
the mind to reflection, but to give to reflection itself 
that practical direction which, after enlightening 



10 PREFACE. 

the intellect, moves the heart, and influences con- 
duct. 

Each evening meditation is followed by a short 
review of the points treated, and is presented, in 
the same or some kindred relation, for reconsider- 
ation next morning, thus still more to impress the 
mind, and to ensure practical results. 

The subjects treated of are such as interest every 
one alike — the priest, the religious and the lay 
man. Persons of each class will find sufficient 
material from which to draw conclusions and form 
resolutions for the promotion of their spiritual 
welfare, and applicable to their state of life, if they 
exercise their mental faculties as should be done in 
a manner concisely explained in the introduction. 




INTRODUCTION. 



The following Instructions, Spiritual Eeadings 
and Conferences are intended to furnish subjects of 
meditation and self-examination during a retreat 
of eight days. It will be in vain for us to promise 
ourselves any solid or lasting fruits from the best 
instructions, if we do not learn to consider medita- 
tion as one of our most important and indispensable 
duties, and as such persevere in it with the utmost 
exactness. A great deal depends on our conceiving 
ideas of this holy exercise so correct as to prevent 
our being misled by the illusion of those who call 
meditation an exercise of extreme difficulty, or else 
of too great sublimity for ordinary Christians. 
Experience teaches that those who pronounce most 
decidedly on the difficulty of meditation, are always 
the very persons who never attempt it, and who 
certainly on that account alone, are of all others 
least qualified to give an opinion on an exercise of 
which they have no experimental knowledge. 

Still, notwithstanding the unfounded prejudices 
entertained against it, nothing is more certain than 
that this exercise is morally necessary for those 
who would work out their salvation, and that it is 
so easy, and so adapted to the most limited under- 
standing that every person is capable of it. 

According to the unanimous opinion of the holy 
Fathers, meditation is indispensably necessary, 
because it is impossible to know the truths and 
the mysteries of our holy * religion, except by the 

(11) 



12 INTRODUCTION . - 

eyes of tlie soul, in other words, by frequent and 
serious reflection. St. Augustine and St. Chryso- 
stom assert, that reflection and consideration on 
the truths of salvation are the foundation of good 
works ; and certainly it is clear to every one, that 
those who do not meditate or reflect on the maxims 
of the Gospel, on their various duties, on the 
obstacles which impede their progress in virtue, 
and the means best calculated for removing them, 
run a very great risk of forgetting these maxims, 
neglecting these duties, yielding to these obstacles, 
and slighting these means, and consequently of 
being eternally lost. On the contrary, those who 
meditate assiduously, morally ensure their salva- 
tion ; because meditation naturally produces such 
good desires, holy affections and efficacious resolu- 
tions, as at length ex3ite to the execution of good 
designs, to the i)erfect amendment of life, and to 
the habitual practice of virtue. It is God that 
speaks to us in meditation, and God speaks to us 
much better than any preacher can. It is through 
meditation that the saints have been sanctified, for 
it is in meditation we learn to turn away our hearts 
from this world, and direct them towards God. 

How consoling, then, to think that an exercise 
so necessary is so easy. In effect, nothing more is 
requisite for meditation, than to be endowed with 
reason, because meditation is nothing more than 
an exercise of the three powers of the soul, memory, 
tfhderstanding and will ; that is, an application of 
those three powers to some practical object, whether 
spiritual or temporal. Therefore it is clear that 
meditation, rightly understood, is not only easily. 



INTRODUCTION. 13 

but universally practised, since all, from the first 
to the last, have some object in view, some scheme 
to accomplish, some business to pursue ; and there 
is no one, if he wishes to avoid being rash or 
foolish, who does not frequently reflect on and 
adopt the means most likely to ensure success. 
The greatest saint is distinguished from the greatest 
worldling not so much by meditating or reflecting 
more fervently or more profoundly, but by the 
different subjects of his reflection. 

For example, what difiSculty does a merchant 
find in meditating, that is, reasoning and reflecting 
on commerce, a farmer on husbandry, a tradesman 
on his employment "? These persons frequently call 
to mind what they hear or see against the plans 
they pursue, and thus they exercise the memory; 
they make serious reflections on what they find 
profitable or the reverse ; and consider frequently 
how far their plans are likely to ensure success or 
risk failure : this is an exercise of the understanding. 
Lastly, however little capacity these persons may 
have, their reflections never fail to excite in their 
will determinations as to their conduct, arising 
from the hopes and desires of success, fear or 
danger, or sorrow for disappointment, which is the 
exercise of the will; and these same reflections 
afterwards urge them to take better precautions 
against the accidents they foresee, and to adopt 
such measures as may repair past losses, and 
ensure them ultimate advantage. 

This is what is called meditation; and is it not 
clear that it is practised by pci^-sons of every descrip- 
tion ? What, then, can hinder those who reflect, or 



14 INTRODUCTION. 

meditate, on temporal concerns, from doing the 
same in the momentous business of their eternal 
salvation? Why should they not in the same 
manner reflect on what may conduce or hinder 
their attainment of heaven ? Why should they not 
examine well the state of their soul, its dispositions 
and inclinations, and consider what they ought to 
pursue or avoid 1 The whole secret is to think of 
eternity as often as we do of time, to feel as much 
interest for our soul as we do for our body, and to 
be as willing to encounter difiBculties and overcome 
obstacles for immortal treasures, as we are for 
l^erishable goods. But, alas, the want of these 
disi^ositions constitutes the difficulty of meditating 
on spiritual matters. — "With desolation is the 
earth made desolate, because there is no one that 
considereth in his heart." (Jerem. XII. 11.) 

Still, as the dispositions for meditation are 
acquired and perfected by the habit of this exercise, 
you cannot be too strenuously exhorted to adopt 
and persevere in the holy custom of devoting a 
short time daily to meditation on some of those 
great truths of salvation, which, at the time of 
death, will most certainly appear to you as alone 
worthy of consideration. 

- To meditate with fruit, observe the following 
method : 

1) Call to mind the presence of God by a short 
act of faith, and profoundly adore Him. 

2) Make a short act of contrition, because sin is 
the greatest obstacle to communication with God. 

3) Implore the assistance of the Holy Ghost, to 
make the meditation in a manner pleasing to God 
and jDrofitable to your soul. 



INTEODUCTION. 15 

4) Then call to mind the Christian truth or 
mystery on which you desire to meditate. Thinking 
on this to the best of your power is the proper 
exercise of memory. It is almost morally impossible 
that no reflection will arise or present itself to your 
mind concerning the truth you have presented for 
consideration. Any reflection, even one thought, 
however simple, will suffice, if you dwell on it, and 
endeavor to penetrate its meaning. These reflec- 
tions will naturally lead you to consider the state 
of your soul, to draw from the truth on which you 
meditate some conclusion for the reformation of 
your life. Thus you exercise your understanding. 

5) From the understanding having been convinced 
and enlightened by reflection, there must follow 
that the ivill is affected according to the nature 
of the objects reflected on. For example, such 
alarming truths as the rigorous justice of God, hell, 
eternity, will produce in our hearts fear, contrition 
and horror. Those subjects that are amiable and 
attractive, as the Most Holy Eucharist, the B]essed 
Virgin Mary, Heaven, etc., will, on the contrary, 
excite feelings of love, admiration, gratitude, hope 
and confidence, and in producing such acts, together 
with the resolutions to which they lead, consists the 
exercise of the icill. 

6) After having discovered by meditation what 
we have to do, on our part, in order to live in con- 
formity with the holy will of God, and having 
asked His assistance, it still remains for us to put 
in practice what we have thus seen to be necessary; 
otherwise our meditation will be fruitless. We 
must therefore make a serious resolve to avoid such 



16 INTEODUCTION. 

a fault, to practise such and such a virtue, to do 
this or that good work on the very first occasion. 
It is necessary, also, from time to time during the 
day, to recall the good resolution we have made. 

7) After the good resolution comes the end of 
meditation. We must thank God for the holy in- 
spirations he has given us, and implore His aid to 
put our resolutions into practice. 

So much concerning meditation in general, as it 
is to be practised every day. Concerning the use 
of this book during the time of retreat, the most 
profitable manner to proceed will be in regard to 
the meditations proper, as well as in regard to the 
spiritual readings and conferences: After having 
invoked the Holy Ghost, you read a few sentences, 
then stop to consider, and ask yourself the following 
questions : 

1) What does the holy faith here say to me ? 

2) What must I do to put in practice its teaching 
in this matter ? 

3) What have I done hitherto ? 

4) What am I willing to do in future ? 

Then ask of God, through Mary, to give you His 
assistance, and proceed to the next point. Thus 
you can occupy a long time on each subject, and, 
with the grace of God, your retreat will be a profit- 
able one. 



I. 

Preparatory fled i tat ion. 
On the Spirit in which to enter the Retreat. 

"Rise thou that sleepest, and arise from 
the dead, and Christ shall enlighten 
thee."— Ephes, V. 14, 

Two things are necessary for man to live well 
and holily : namely, to avoid evil and to do good. 
To attain this end, the spiritual exercises of a 
retreat are most powerful and efficacious ; for they 
act on a soul as cleansing and ornamenting does on 
a room. How is a chamber put in order ? The 
floor is well swept, each corner is dusted, what is 
disorderly is set right, everything is put in its 
place, and all that can be procured to embellish it 
is added. Thus we act during the retreat with the 
soul. With no other occupation, in a sequestered 
spot, with a clear light from God, we review the 
secret windings of our conscience, its evil habits, 
our past faults in cleansing ourselves by penance. 
Then we think seriously of beginning a new life^ 
religious and holy. 

It appears that the royal prophet David acted 
thus when he said, '*I remembered God, and was 
delighted, and was exercised : and my spirit 
vswooned away." (Ps. LXXVI. 4.) He then 
explains how he did this, and it is precisely what 
is done in the exercises of a retreat. First: ^^I 
meditated with my heart." Here was meditation, 

2 (1^) 



18 PREPARATORY MEDITATION. 

Secondly: "I was troubled, and I spoke not. I 
thought upon the days of old." Here was silence 
and examination of the past life. Thirdly : ''I was 
exercised and swept my spirit. ' * Here was prayer 
and repentance. Fourthly: ''And I said, ''Now I 
have begun : this is the change of the right hand 
of the Most High." Here is the fruit ; that is, a 
serious change of life. Thus acted the royal pro- 
phet, and the same are we to do in these holy 
exercises. We are to meditate at leisure and seriously 
the truths of eternity. 

It is God who calls you to this retreat. There- 
fore you must correspond with this grace, and use 
it according to God's will, that is, for your conver- 
sion. It is through His particular love for you 
that God grants you this grace. It is not granted 
to every one. Multitudes to whom a grace like 
this would be the best remedy for their spiritual 
ailments, receive it not. Through a particular 
mercy of God it is granted to you: with what 
scruiDulous care, then, should you not profit by it! 
— Do not say that during the course of the year 
you consider the eternal truths by meditating, 
reading or hearing sermons. The seed thrown on 
the ground by the evangelical Sower was perfectly 
good ; however, that portion which fell on stones 
no sooner appeared than it was sun-burnt ; that 
which fell among the thorns scarcely rose when it 
vras choked with brambles, and the seed that fell 
on the highway was trampled under foot. The 
evangelical truths are always the same ; but if they 
occur to a distracted mind, occupied with a thousand 
affairs and interests, or to one exposed to vanity or 



PKEPAEATORY MEDITATION. 19 

worldly affections, they make slight impression, 
and then vanish. Hence for the soul to profit by 
them, they must be meditated on in holy retirement. 

During the remainder of the year it seldom 
happens that these truths are heard in so striking 
a manner as they are laid before us during the 
retreat, so that they are here so many drawn swords 
which strike deeply. Besides, God communicates 
Himself to us more or less in heavenly lights 
according to our dispositions ; and where can a 
person be better disposed to be enlightened than in 
a retreat 1 

If you have hitherto^performed similar spiritual 
exercises without profit and improvement, resolve 
now to amend all your faults and to remove every 
obstacle that might obstruct the workings of God's 
grace. 

To intimate the Law to the Israelites, God con- 
ducted them into the desert, that there, without 
disturbance, they might better hear His voice. 
There also He nourished them with manna, which 
may be called a representation of the retreat. As 
that was very small, but of great virtue, so the 
sentiments which here are meditated on, are short, 
but of great virtue and efficacy. Man can never 
better hear the voice of God, and taste the manna 
of spiritual consolation, than in the desert of holy 
retreat. 

Our Divine Saviour, before entering upon His 
work of instructing mankind, was led into the 
desert by the Spirit of God. You must follow His 
example during this retreat, if you wish it to be 
effective and salutary as regards your necessities 



20 PREPARATORY MEJ>ITATION. 

and the expectations of God. God, Who wishes to 
sanctify you, calls you rather to an internal than 
to an external solitude ; for the latter is worthless 
without the former. Therefore you must withdraw 
yourself during these holy days from everything 
that might distract you. You must act as if God 
and you alone were in the world. You must occupy 
yourself only with Him. You must reject every 
other thought, though good in itself, and however 
promotive of good it might seem, because by 
dividing your attention, and diverting it from the 
great work on hand, such a thought would be 
harmful. 

God wishes to be alone with you, because He 
wishes to speak to your heart. Therefore your 
heart must be emptied of the world, and not only 
of the world at large, but also of that little world 
which is a part of yourself, and consists of your 
passions, your restlessness, your curiosity, your 
disorderly inclinations. As long as your heart is 
occupied with this little world, you will not be 
able to hear Him. 

Woe unto you if you should bring this little 
world into the sanctuary of this solitude ; that is, 
if you should enter upon this retreat with a dis- 
tracted spirit and an unmortified heart. A vain 
desire, a secret morosity, a hidden aversion, an 
occult jealousy, a too human affection are sufficient 
to effect this, and thereby to render yourself incap- 
able of the friendship, and unable to hear the dis- 
course of your Divine Master. Should this be the 
case with you, you would not find God in this 
retreat, however edifying it might appear, because 



PREPARATORY MEDITATION. 21 

God would not find in you that perfect recollection 
which a soul must possess in order to enjoy inter- 
course with Him. Say, then, with David, "I will 
hear what the Lord God will speak within me," 
(Ps. LXXXIY. 9.), and with Samuel, ^^Speak, 
Lord, for Thy servant heareth." (I. Kings, III. 9.) 
Follow the example of His holy Mother Mary, and 
treasure up in your heart all His words, in whsteh 
He is about to reveal to you His holy will. 

Enter into yourself; review in your mind the 
disorderly life you have hitherto led ; see how your 
conscience has become defiled, and become con- 
vinced that you really require this retreat. In it 
you have to consider your most important affair, 
your salvation. If you knew for certain that this 
retreat were to be the last of your life, that at its 
termination you were immediately to die, with 
what fervor would you perform it ! Who knows if 
these are not the last admonitions, the last graces 
which God will give you ? 

Do, then, all in your power to make this retreat 
profitable for your spiritual welfare. That is. First j 
Perform all its spiritual exercises in earnest. 
Secondly, Perform them with recollection. Thirdly, 
Perform them with tranquility and submission to 
the will of God. 

1. The retreat must he made in earnest. 

Many wonder at themselves, and say that they 
have frequently made the spiritual exercises with- 
out reaping any of the fruit which is attributed to 
them. In truth, they do not speak justly, and 
have given proof of it. They have performed the 
exercises, observing an exterior composure and 



22 PREPAEATOEY MEDITATION. 

retirement, but have not. in reality, penetrated the 
eternal truths, have not endeavored to practise 
what they meditated. Thus it is not surprising 
that they were little benefited. To judge from 
appearances they seem to make the retreat : they 
are modest, devout, contrite ; but the mind is not 
well persuaded of the eternal truths, nor is the 
heart well resolved to give itself to God. It is, 
then, necessary to perform these exercises in earnest. 
Therefore, having heard or read the points of reflec- 
tion you should thus discourse with yourself : Is 
this true or not ? — If it be true, why do I defer 
coming to a conclusion ? — Having made a cour- 
ageous resolution, come to the practice of what 
has been proposed. Hence St. Ignatius, being 
enlightened by God, called these instructions not 
spiritual vieditations, but spiritual exercises; for it 
would avail little to meditate on them, if what has 
been meditated on is not practised or exercised. 

2. The retreat must be made with recollection^ both 
with relation to God and to ourselves. 

As to what relates to God, it is said, ''They shall 
give glory to the Lord, and shall declare His praise 
in the islands." (Isai. XLII. 12.) God seems to 
show Himself more bountiful towards those who, 
retired from the affairs of the world, appear as so 
many islands separated from the continent. The 
Holy Ghost descended in the room of the Last 
Supper, the doors being closed and the Disciples 
and Apostles being in retreat ; the manna fell from 
heaven when the Israelites were in the desert: 
thus also the Divine Spirit and the manna of 
heavenly illumination and consolation are more 



PREPAEATOEY MEDITATION. 23 

abundantly communicated during the retreat, be- 
cause of greater solitude. Concerning ourselves, 
this is also very necessary; for the mind, if not 
entirely divested of earthly thoughts, cannot be 
disposed for those relating to the spirit. As water, 
in fountains not well inclosed, cannot ascend on 
high, so the soul, when not well inclosed in solitude, 
cannot ascend to the contemplation of heavenly 
things. To make the retreat well, we must observe 
the saying of St. Augustine, ^^Take thyself from 
thyself ; remove every impediment. ' ' We should say 
to all temporal things, and to our usual occupations, 
what Jesus said to His Apostles in Gethsemani, 
*'Sit you here, till I go yonder and pray." (Matth. 
XXVI. 36.) 

3. The retreat must be made in great tranquility of 
mind, and luith submission to the icill of God, 

The evil spirit, in order to prevent the fruits of 
a retreat, tries by all means to disturb those that 
make one. When St. Ignatius, at Manresa, wrote 
his admirable Book of Spiritual Exercises, the evil 
spirit tried to annoy him with various illusions. 
In phantastical forms he appeared in the air, 
strange to behold. But the saint treated him with 
ridicule, and the tempter fled. 

The evil spirit annoys some by inducing them to 
think solitude insupportable. Let such reflect that 
physicians k^ep sick persons in retirement for 
weeks, and they submit willingly in order to regain 
health of body. And for the salvation of the soul 
a retreat of a few days cannot be endured, even 
with the liberty of taking the air ! Besides, there 
is this difference between spiritual and temporal 



24 PEEPARATORY MEDITATIOIN^. 

enjoyments: the latter appear sweet, but are full 
of bitterness ; the former appear disagreeable and 
bitter, but are full of sweetness. The royal prophet 
says, ^'O taste and see that the Lord is sweet." 
(Ps. XXXIII. 9.) Make a trial of applying your- 
self to prayer ; taste, and you will find what interior 
consolations God communicates to His servants. 

The evil spirit tempts others with the semblance 
of a greater good, such as to settle the conscience. 
For this purpose he distracts them entirely from 
the meditations, and keeps them occupied with a 
thousand scrupulosities, thinking of the sins of 
their past life. Oh, what a deceit! The fruits of a 
retreat are not scruples, but the reformation of 
manners : so that we must spend the time, first, in 
imi)rinting on our minds the eternal truths ; then, 
in forming strong resolutions of the will. As to 
what relates to conscience, communicate, at the 
end of thiB retreat, with a wise director, and obey 
him in all things. It is, moreover, necessary to 
abandbn self with perfect indifference into the hands 
of God, and to ])e disposed to do what He inspires. 

The object and end of your retreat then is com- 
pletely to change your life by remodeling it in the 
spirit of your vocation ; to learn to know yourself 
and the intentions of God concerning you ; to in- 
quire earnestly into the causes of your evil habits 
and imperfections; to bring your actions, your 
entire deportment, and even your thoughts and 
desires into perfect correspondence with the spirit 
of your vocation, in a word, to become, as St. Paul 
says, '4n Christ a new creature." (II. Cor. V. 17.) 

If you should have any other object than this in 



PREPAEATORY MEDITATION. 25 

view during this retreat ; if you leave it without 
having begun to reform your defects and imperfec- 
tions, it will be in vain that you experience the 
most ardent affections of devotion : they will be a 
mere delusion. The object of this retreat is your 
conversion, and not exalted meditation or deep con- 
templation. And even this object is not expressed 
distinctly enough when stated in so general a 
manner. Your purpose, in order to be effective, 
must be directed at something definite. You must 
examine before God whether, in order to attain the 
special object of this retreat, your purpose of 
amendment must refer to the eradication of some 
definite vice, or to the cultivation of charity, purity, 
mortification or similar virtues. 

Consider, then, the maxims on which you may 
establish the great edifice of perfection, and ponder 
on them during these sacred days. Concisely stated 
they are as follows : 

1) Often recall to mind that you are in this 
world to save your soul. Consequently you 'must 
apply yourself to fulfill exactly and constantly all 
the duties of your state of life. It is in this that 
true and solid perfection consists. 

2) Never do anything contrary to the dictates of 
an upright conscience, because a conscience enlight- 
ened by grace is the sure rule of conduct that God 
has given to man. We must never purposely act 
against this light, but conform to it and follow its 
guidance. 

3) Behold in everything, sin alone excepted, the 
will of God. A faithful soul should on all occasions 
observe with simplicity what is the will of God, 



26 PEEPAEATOEY MEDITATION. 

and conform exactly to it, whether it be to act or 
to suffer. By this one will ra^iidly advance in the 
way of perfection, and will infallibly attain that 
sanctity to which God has called him. 

4) Esteem or value only what contributes to 
salvation. All things temporal, however great or 
attractive they may be, do not merit our notice, 
because they serve not for eternity. 

5) Be careful to make great account of the 
smallest spiritual profit or loss. In proportion as 
we please, or displease God, we shall enjoy His 
presence more or less for all eternity. The least 
degree of the possession of God infinitely surpasses 
all the gratifications of this world ; consequently 
the least profit, or slightest spiritual loss should 
excite all our care and vigilance. 

6) Be not troubled at your faults. We are frail 
and weak, and there would be pride in supposing 
we are not liable to fall. Certainly, we should 
omit nothing to guard against our failings, because 
there is question of offending God ; but when we 
have fallen we must rise speedily, humbly ask 
pardon of God, and not feel afflicted or dejected : 
all this proceeds from a fund of self-love, and may 
be occasion of faults still greater than the first. 

7) Dying to self is a most essential and necessary 
condition of salvation. Everything painful to 
nature is of great value in this regard. A soul 
should embrace with ardor all that is repugnant to 
nature, and choose it in preference to what is 
gratifying and flattering. We should remember 
that the voice of nature seduces, but the inspirations 
of grace conduct to life. 



PEEPAEATORY MEDITATION. 27 

8) A practice equally important is to have in all 
things God alone in view, seeking only His glory 
and His good pleasure. In this purity of intention, 
this single view of God, consists the merit of all 
our actions ; for want of it the best lose their value, 
and are often even displeasing to God by the defec- 
tive motives which steal in and sully them. 

9) Eecollect the presence of God. This practice 
contributes much to sanctify our actions. It ban- 
ishes useless thoughts, recalls us from distraction, 
animates and supports us. ^^Walk before me, and 
be perfect," (Gen. XYII. 1.) says Our Lord. 
Therefore say often to yourself, ''God sees me; 
God hears me ; God will judge me." This thought 
is sufficient of itself to make us avoid a number of 
faults, and to excite us to many acts of virtue. 
Let us make it the rule of our conduct. 

About to enter on this retreat, resolve to make 
use of these recommendations, which are essential 
to a fruitful result of your spiritual exercises. 
Finally, persuade yourself that to attain salvation 
you must suffer some inconveniences. ''God, Who 
created you without your consent, will not save 
you without your co-operation." This saying of 
St. Augustine is well known, and none the less true. 

Now that God extends, as it were, His hand from 
heaven to draw you out of the depth of your 
spiritual misery, do you also raise your hands to 
Him. Cling to Him, so that this retreat may 
become for you a source of grace in time, and the 
pledge of your happiness for an endless eternity. 



28 PREPARATORY ^MEDITATION. 

PRAYER. 

Enlighten me, O Lord, direct and assist me 
during this holy retreat. As Thou leadest me into 
seclusion, guide me also to that perfection, and the 
means to attain it, to which Thou hast called me. 
Do not permit, I beseech Thee, that these spiritual 
exercises, which for so many have been a means of 
conversion, be for me, through negligence and 
tepidity on my part, the cause of damnation. 

What wilt Thou that I shall do, O my God? 
Behold, I am ready to correspond with Thy ador- 
able intentions concerning me as soon as I shall 
have learned them. I may, however, delude myself, 
and there may be hidden in my heart self-love and 
vanity. Assist me, O Lord, to know and remove 
these obstacles. Perfect the preparation of my 
heart. It wishes to be subject to Thee, and to 
withdraw from all exterior conversation to receive 
more easily the impressions of Thy grace and 
Spirit. Amen. 



2^ 



II. 

Points of Meditation for next Morning. 

On Spiritual Recollection. 

"I will lead her into the wilderness, 
and I will speak to her heart." — 

Osee II. 14. 

1. By spiritical recollection we draw near to God. — 
Spiritual recollection is the soul's first step from 
sin to grace, or from a life of luke-warmness to a 
life of zeal. As soon as the Prodigal son recollected 
himself, his eyes were opened to the misery of his 
condition. The same happens in the case of a soul 
that abandoned itself to tepidity. As soon as it 
recollects itself, and meditates on the words, ' 'Be- 
cause thou art luke-warm, and neither cold nor 
hot, I will begin to vomit thee out of my mouth," 
(Apoc. III. 16.), it will be roused from its danger- 
ous lethargy. 

2. Spiritual recollection removes us from many 
temptations. — In recollection we are open to the 
influence of God's grace, we are moved to accept 
it, to co-operate with it. By recollection we are 
taught to watch diligently over the inclinations of 
nature, and to suppress them, or to guide them 
into their lawful channels. On the other hand, a 
distracted, dissipated soul is inconstant ; ever eager 
for sensual enjoyments, it is open to every tempta- 
tion. 

3. Spiritual recollection preserves us from sin. By 
it the soul is filled with light and strength, thereby 
receiving two powerful aids to overcome sin, this 
work of darkness and frailtv. Eecollection reminds 



30 ON SPIRITUAL RECOLLECTION. 

US : '^God is present; He sees me! His presence at 
the same time enlightens and strengthens me." 
Holy Scripture mentions forgetfulness of God as 
one of the general causes of sin, and alludes to 
recollection and the continual mindfulness of God's 
presence as the source of perseverance in grace. 



31 



First Day. 

rieditation during the Forenoon. 

ni. 

On the End of Man. 

"It is written: The Lord thy God 
shalt thou adore, and Him alone shalt 
thou serve." — Matth. IV. 10. 

The principal object of the retreat is to become 
imbued with a realization of the true end for which 
man was created. For as a building rests on its 
foundation, thus all the other eternal truths of faith 
rest on this one, so that the good result of the 
retreat depends in a great measure on the right 
perception and understanding of this one truth : 
•Olan is created to love the Lord, his God. to adore 
and serve Him. and thereby to save his soul." 
Everything else on earth was created for the sake 
of man, that he might thereby attain the end of his 
creation. 

The j)urpose of this meditation is to make us 
acquainted with the purpose of our creation : it is 
to draw our soul to the contemplation of itself, to 
investigate the error of our ways in abusing the 
creatures of God for the purj^ose of abandoning 
Him, instead of making use of them to draw nearer 
and nearer to Him. 

God is our Creator. From Him we have our 
origin, hence we belong to Him. Our soul, created 
after God's image, participates in His perfections, 
in His knowledge, liberty, immensity, etc-. — O 
human soul, cease to admire the distance of the 
stars, the depth of the ocean, the splendor of the 



32 FIRST DAY. 

sun. Admire thyself ; thou art the image of God ! 
There is scarcely anything of His essence, of which 
He has not given thee a part. Thou art a spirit : 
thou art immortal, than art God's image! O soul, 
higher than the heavens, deeper than the abysses, 
broader than the universe, more enduring than 
time, greater than all visible creation — remain 
true to thy station, do not abase thyself by seeking 
happiness in created things! 

If God is my Creator, He is also my Lord, and I 
am His property. If everything that I am and 
possess is from Him, I belong wholly to Him. A 
master has a right to the labor of his servant, a 
father to the obedience, love and reverence of his 
children. As I am the creature of God, I belong 
to Him in a much greater degree than the servant 
belongs to the master, the child to his father. 
Hence, by the free resolve of my will, 1 will be His, 
His alone and for ever. 

/ belong entirely to God. — God created me and 
supports me for the sole purpose that I praise, 
adore and serve Him. He is the supreme Bounty, 
Who endowed me with intelligence to know Him. 
He is the supreme Beauty, AVho gave me a heart 
to love Him. He is my supreme and absolute 
Lord, from Whom I received all my spiritual and 
corporal faculties for the sole purpose to render 
Him thereby the homage and obedience which I 
owe Him. '^It is truly meet and just, right and 
salutary, that we should always and in all places 
give thanks to Thee." Truly, there is nothing 
more equitable, O my God, but that I should be 
uninterruptedly intent on thanking and glorifying 



ox THE END OF MAN. 33 

Thee by submission to Thy divine will. I may not 
omit this without infringiiig on Thy rights. Nothing 
is more meet for a soul endowed with intelligence, 
.for a Christian called to the service of God. It is 
herein that our dignity, our glory lies : we share, 
in a certain sense, God's attributes, if we make His 
will our will, if our whole mode of action is modeled 
on His. And what can be more profitable, ^'just, 
right and salutary," for us than this disposition ? 
Therefore, let the motives of all our thoughts, words 
and deeds be, ''For the greater glory of God!" 

God is our all. — In the same manner as God 
desires that we glorify Him, He also desires our 
welfare and eternal salvation. Hence He has or- 
dained that it should depend on the manner in 
which we serve Him. He might say to us, ^'If 
you keep my commandments you perform your 
duty, and no harm shall befall you." But He 
says, instead, ^^Serve me, and you shall receive a 
magnificent reward: 'I am thy reward exceeding 
great. ' ' ' (Gen. XY. 1. ) Incomprehensible reward ! 
It relates to eternity. But even in this life He 
rewards those that devote themselves to His ser- 
vice. He takes up His abode in their hearts. He 
reigns therein. He replenishes them with that peace 
which is beyond all comprehension. He defends 
them against their enemies ; He graciously hears 
their prayers and grants their petitions.' His 
Providence watches over them like a mother watches 
over the child which is the sole object of her affec- 
tions. 

Christian soul ! Thou art consumed with a desire 
for bliss ; thou knowest that God alone can satisfy 



34 FIRST DAY. 

this thy desire, and yet thou perseveres t in seeking 
outside of God what thou canst find only in Him. 
Wilt thou squander thy whole life in these unprofit- 
able experiments 1 How much time hast thou 
hitherto abused in loving the nothingness and 
vanity of created things! How deplorable, that 
thou hast strayed from the right path ! O my God ! 
Sever me from everything except Thyself! Draw 
me to Thee alone! Thou hast permitted that I 
should find nothing but misery and suffering with- 
out Thee ; yet, to my confusion, I have derived no 
profit from my sad experiences. 

The same demonstration that man is created for 
God alone, logically leads to the conclusion that 
all created things are to be considered only in 
their relation to God. They are the means by 
which we should be drawn towards Him. Hence 
follows that we ought to make use of created things 
only when and inasmuch as they are conducive to 
this end. 

Not only our fellow men, but all things existing 
in creation — animals, plants, the elements, natural 
endowments, talents, are but so many means for 
the attainment of our end, instruments to be em- 
ployed in the service of God. An instrument is 
good only inasmuch as its serves its purpose ; it 
becomes worthless when it ceases to be useful, and 
still more so when it becomes an obstacle. Crea- 
tures, then, may please us ever so much ; this 
alone does not render them valuable, and is not a 
sufficient reason for us to make use of them. For 
what is pleasing to the senses may nevertheless be 
a hindrance to the attainment of our end, whilst 



OK THE END OF MAN. 35 

things that repel us, and these sometimes alone, 
are serviceable for this purpose. 

But because we abhor things that are displeasing 
to us, and use them not as means for our end, 
whilst we seek our pleasure and enjoyment, making 
use of the latter without measure and order, hence 
the great and deplorable disorders and imperfections 
of which we are guilty, hence so many sins, hence 
the sum of all spiritual and temporal evils. This 
is the snare and error: as soon as we cease to 
regard the creatures as a means and help to find 
God, we make them the object of our affections, 
and, in a manner, permit them to take God's place. 
This is a kind of idolatry, for in this case they 
occupy our thoughts, ensnare us, take possession 
of our heart ; all our affections are concentrated on 
them. We devote all our time, means and faculties to 
gain possession of them. — But we should remember 
created beings and objects only for the purpose 
of growing in the love of God. Instead of doing 
this, however, we think of God, have recourse to 
Him, pray to Him — only for the purpose of at- 
taining sooner and more easily the possession of 
creatures. 

O deplorable blindness ! Man is created to love 
the Lord, his God, to adore and serve Him, and 
thereby to save his soul — and he turns away from 
God, loves and serves creatures and incurs eternal 
damnation ! — Let us henceforth use the world and 
its creatures as a ladder on which to ascend to 
God, our ultimate end. St. Bernard remarks: 
"All created things were given us for our salvation 
and welfare, but contribute towards it in various 



36 FIRST DAY. 

ways. Some are for the preservation of our life 
and strength, others for our instruction, others 
again for recreation, and still others for our proba- 
tion and improvement." True wisdom consists 
therein, that we use these various things according 
to the will of God, and with reference to our imme- 
diate needs. 

If there is question of created things such as we 
cannot live without, as nourishment, clothing, 
dwelling, rest, etc., be content with what is neces- 
sary, and use it gratefully. Eenounce the superfluous 
in a spirit of sacrifice. These created things are 
saying to you, ^'Use, return, fear! Use the benefit 
which I confer ; return thanks to Him from Whom 
and for Whom you receive me ; fear the account 
which you must render for the manner in which 
you used me." {Richard of St. Victor.) — It is not 
in our power to determine whether we shall see, 
hear and experience things and persons pleasant or 
displeasing around us or not ; but in everything 
we find occasion to raise our hearts to God. This 
is what the saints call finding God in the creatures. 

With regard to indifferent tilings, such as we 
may or may not use, the following rule is given. 
We should be entirely indifferent towards them 
until we have fully scrutinized them and discovered 
whether and in what degree they are calculated to 
bring us nearer to God and to our last end. We 
are neither to seek nor to avoid these things for 
their own sake, but only with a view to their 
conduciveness to our salvation. For we belong to 
God in virtue of His omnipotent creative and pro- 
prietary right. '^Thou hast created us for Thee, O 



OUR DUTY TOWARDS GOD. 37 

God, and our heart remains unsatisfied until it 
rests in Thee. ' ' (St. Augustine. ) God, and God alone 
is our end. ^ 'My God and my All ! ' ' (St. Francis.) 
Therefore, seek God alone. Make use of the 
visible creation around you for this purpose. 
Thereby you not only fulfill your duty towards 
God, but also use His creation according to His 
will. Eemembering that ''liTobody can serve two 
masters," (Matth. YI. 24.,), conclude this medita- 
tion with the following 

PRAYEE OF THE CHURCH. 

O God, the Protector of them that hope in Thee, 
without Whom nothing is strong, nothing holy: 
multiply Thy mercy upon us, that, guided and 
directed by Thee, we may so pass through things 
temporal, as not to lose the eternal. Through 
Christ, Our Lord. Amen. 



Spiritual Reading. 

IV. 

Our Duty towards God. 

Such was the thoughtless ingratitude of the 
Jewish people that it was found necessary, again 
and again, to remind them of the relations they 
bore to God ; how He was their Creator and their 
Father, they His creatures and His children. And 
do not we also need to be reminded of the same ! 
Hence the psalmist says, ^'He made us, and not we 
ourselves." (Ps. XCIX. 3.) Yet, how often do 
we find ourselves acting as independent beings ; as 



38 FIRST DAY. 

if we had come here of ourselves, and could live by 
our own effort"? But, says the inspired writer, 
''How could anything endure, if Thou wouldst 
not ! or be preserved if not called by Thee ? ' ' 
(Wisd. XI. 26.) 

It is by God's power that we live. If He with- 
drew His hand for a moment, we should fall away 
and be nothing again. His Providence is always 
engaged about us, saving us in a thousand ways 
and keeping us in all our dangers. 

But there is a relation more endearing still — 
God is our Father. And He wishes us to remember 
it: ''Thus therefore shall you pray: Our Father, 
Who art in heaven.'^ (Matth. VI. 9.) Thus is 
the question answered, "What is God to us !" He 
is our Creator and our Father. In these two rela- 
tions everything is included. God is everything 
to us ; He is our first beginning and our last end. 
All that we have and all that we hope for is from 
Him. And lest His majesty should strike us 
dumb with fear, and hinder our free converse with 
Him, He stoops down and tells the inspired writer 
to ask us, "Is not He thy father, that hath possessed 
thee, and made thee, and created thee ?" (Deuter. 
XXXII. 6.) Oh, love and honor your Father, Who 
is in heaven, lest the complaint of His Holy Spirit 
apply to you, "If I, then, be a Father, where is my 
honor f And if I be a master, where is my fear?" 
(^lalach. I. 6.) There are masters in this world, 
and their servants dare not approach them in any 
other capacity than that of servants whose duty is 
trembling obedience. Our Lord and Master, Whose 
will is obeyed in heaven. Who rules on earth and 



OUE DUTY TOAVAKDS GOD. 39 

is feared in hell, wishes us to approach Him, and 
to call Him what He really is, Our Father. What 
a privilege! 

If God be our Creator, then we are His creatures ; 
if He be our Father, then we are His children. — 
We are His creatures, the work of His hands: 
^'Thy hands have made me and fashioned me.'' 
(Job X. 8.) We are not only made by His hands, 
but we are still, even now, in His hands ; and to 
show us our duty as creatures. He asks, ^ 'Shall 
the clay boast against him that fashioneth it?'' 
(Isai. XLV. 9.) Yes, even as the inanimate clay 
is shaped, now in one way and now in another, as 
it is destined now to one use, now to another, even 
so should our free will be pliant to the will of God : 
so much so, that we have nothing else to do. So 
thought the prophet Jonas. When asked who he 
was, whence he came and whither he was going, 
he answered, ''I am a Hebrew, and I fear the Lord, 
the God of heaven.'' (Jon. I. 9.) To fear God, 
and to fear him with a filial fear is our duty. 
With a filial fear, for we must never forget that we 
are His children. Oh, what a happiness to be 
called, and to be, a child of God! You may be 
l)00r, looked down upon, cast off by the great ones 
of this world, but you are not cast off by God. In 
the greatest poverty, in the lowest degradation He 
acknowledges you as His own. !N'ay more, your 
poverty is of itself a title to His special favor, for 
has He not said, ' 'Blessed are the poor in spirit, 
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven ? " (3Iatth.V.3.) 
But if we enjoy the privilege of children, we must 
not forget the duties which such a privilege involves. 



40 FIRST DAY. 

A child must love and obey his father. Let not 
your Heavenly Father inquire of you complain- 
ingly, '^If, then, I be a Father, where is my honor?" 
(Malach. I. 6.) 

But besides being God's creatures, His children, 
we are His by another title : He has redeemed us. 
We had forfeited our rights as children, the title 
He had given us to a heavenly heritage, and the 
Son of God came to undo the work of sin. Oh 
what a history of love and suffering is contained in 
this simple statement! ''What is man, that Thou 
art mindful of him, or the son of man, that Thou 
visitest him?" (Ps. VIII. 5.) What is man, that 
God should annihilate Himself for him, taking the 
form of a servant ? What is man, that God should 
love him to the end, even to the extreme of dying 
for him 1 

We are, then, God's creatures, the work of His 
hands. His property. We are His children, His 
redeemed children, ''bought with a great price." 
(I. Cor. VI. 20.) It follows then, as a clear con- 
sequence, that we shouki love And serve Him, that 
we should live for Him, "in holiness and justice 
before Him, all our days." (Luke I. 75.) 

Our duty towards God, then, is : first, to know 
Him ; that is, to learn of Him, to learn what He 
has revealed, what He wishes us to know about 
Himself, and then to serve Him in love, and ultim- 
ately to be united with Him in His blessed kingdom. 



ON SELF-KNOWLEDGE. 41 

Afternoon Conference. 

Y. 

On Self-Knowledge. 

Strange as it may seem, a great many people go 
through life with no effort to obtain a correct know- 
ledge of themselves. They are contented with 
general and vague impressions concerning their 
state, and if they have more than this, it is merely 
such accidental information as the events of life 
force upon them. 'Now, whoever would arrive at 
perfection, must thoroughly know himself, and 
only he knows himself, who has a clear and distinct 
insight into the state of his soul, so as to be well 
aware of the particular passions which most 
endanger his salvation, and fully convinced of the 
various faults and imperfections which reign within 
him. Such self-knowledge is justly regarded as 
the first requisite for a true conversion, because it 
shows us our secret faults. That we have such is 
a fact which we are all ready to confess in general 
terms, though few like calmly and ^practically to 
own it when reduced to particulars. 

The most ready method of convincing ourselves 
of the existence in us of faults unknown to our- 
selves, is to consider how plainly we see the faults 
of others. At first sight, there is, of course, no 
reason for supposing that we differ materially from 
those around us ; and if we see sins in them which 
they do not see, it is a presumption that they have 
own discoveries about ourselves, which it would 
surprise us to hear. For instance : How apt is an 
angry man to fancy that he has the command of 



42 FIRST DAY. 

himself ! The very charge of being angry, if brought 
against him, will anger him more ; and in the 
height of his discomfiture he will profess himself 
able to reason and judge with clearness and im- 
partiality. Now, it may be his turn another day, 
for what we know, to witness the same failing in 
us ; or, if we are not naturally inclined to violent 
passion, still at least we may be subject to other 
sins, equally unknown to ourselves, and equally 
known to him as his anger was to us. But let us 
say, for the sake of argument, that no human being 
sees in us sins of which we are not aware ourselves : 
why should man's accidental knowledge of us limit 
the extent of our imperfections? If all the world 
speak well of us, 'after all there is a Judge Who 
searches the hearts : He knows our real state. 
Have we earnestly l>esought Him to teach us the 
knowledge of our own hearts? If we have not, that 
very omission is a presumption against us. Though 
our praise were throughout the Church, we may be 
sure He sees sins without number in us, of which 
we have no idea. If a man sees so much evil in 
human nature, what must God see? Not acts alone 
of sin does He set down against us daily, but 
thoughts of the heart too. The stirrings of pride 
and vanity, covetousness, impurity, discontent, 
resentment, succeed each other through the day 
in momentary emotions, and are known to Him. 
We know them not, but how mucli does it concern 
us to know Them ! 

This consideration is suggested by the first view 
of the subject. Now reflect upon the actual dis- 
closures of our hidden weakness, which accidents 



ON SELF-KNOWLEDGE. 43 

occasion. Peter followed Christ boldly, and sus- 
pected not his own heart till it betrayed him in the 
hour of temptation, and led him to deny his Lord. 
The warning to be deduced from this is, never to 
think we have a due knowledge of ourselves till 
we have been exposed to various kinds of tempt- 
ation, and tried on every side. Integrity on one 
side of our character is no voucher for integrity on 
another. We cannot tell how we should act if 
brought under temptations different from those we 
have hitherto experienced. This thought should 
keep us humble. We are sinners, but we do not 
know how great. He alone knows Who died for 
our sins. 

Thus much, then, we cannot but allow, that we 
do not know ourselves in those respects in which 
we have not been tried. But farther than this: 
what if we do not know ourselves even where we 
have been tried and found faithful? It is a re- 
markable circumstance, which has often been 
observed, that if we look to some of the most 
eminent saints of Scripture, we shall find their 
recorded errors in those parts of their duty, in 
which each had had most trial, and generally 
showed obedience most perfect. Faithful Abraha^m, 
through want of faith, denied his wife. Moses, the 
meekest of men, was excluded from the land of 
promise for a passionate word. The ivisdom of 
Solomon was seduced to bow down to idols. Bar- 
nabas, again, the ''son of consolation", had a sharp 
contention with Paul. — If, then, men who knew 
themselves better than we doubtless know our- 
selves, had so many hidden infirmities about them,, 



44 FIRST DAY. 

even in those parts of their character which were 
most free from blame, what are we to think of our- 
selves? And if our very virtues be defiled with 
imperfection, what must be the unknown multi- 
plied circumstances of evil which aggravate the 
guilt of our sins'? This is a third presumption 
against us. 

Think of this too : No one begins to examine 
himself, and to pray to know himself, but he finds 
within him an abundance of faults, which before 
were either entirely, or almost entirely unknown 
to him. That this is so, we learn from the written 
lives of good men, and our own experience of 
others. And hence it is that the best men are ever 
the most humble, for, having a higher standard of 
excellence in their minds than others have, and 
knowing themselves better, they see somewhat of 
the breadth and depth of their own sinful nature, 
and are shocked and frightened at themselves. The 
generality of men cannot understand this ; and if 
at times the habitual self-condemnation of religious 
men breaks out into words, they think it arises 
from affectation, or from a strange, distempered 
state of mind, or from accidental melancholy or 
disquiet. Whereas the confession of a good man 
against himself is really a witness against all 
thoughtless persons who hear it, and a call on 
them to examine their own hearts. Doubtless, the 
more we examine ourselves, the more imi^erfect 
and ignorant shall we find ourselves to be. 

Still, the full manifestation of our secret faults 
is reserved for another world. And at the last 
day, who can tell the affright and horror of a man 



ON SELF-KNOWLEDGE. 45 

who lived to himself on earth, indulging his own 
evil will, following his own chance notions of truth 
and falsehood, shunning the cross and the reproach 
of Christ, when his eyes are at length opened before 
the throne of God ! It is a serious question, then, 
for us to entertain, whether we are not now living 
a life of self-deceit, and thinking far more comfort- 
ably of our spiritual state than we have a right 
to do. 

Self-knowledge does not come as a matter of 
course. It implies an effort and a work. As well 
may we suppose that the knowledge of the lan- 
guages comes by nature, as that acquaintance with 
our own heart is natural. The very effort of steadily 
reflecting is itself painful to many ; not to speak 
of the difficulties of reflecting correctly. To ask 
ourselves why we do this or that, to take account 
of the principles which govern us ; to see whether 
we act for conscience' sake or from some lower 
inducement is painful to us. We are busy, and 
what leisure time we have we readily devote to a 
less severe and wearisome employment. 

And then comes in our self-love. We hope the 
best. This saves us the trouble of examining. 
Self-love answers for our safety. We think it 
sufficient caution to allow for certain possible un- 
known faults at the utmost, and to take them into 
the reckoning when we balance our account with 
our conscience : whereas, if the truth were known 
to us, we should find we had nothing but debts, 
and those greater than we can conceive, and ever 
increasing. 

And. this favorable judgment of ourselves will 



46 FIRST DAY. 

especially prevail if we have the misfortune to have 
uninterrupted health and high spirits. Health of 
body and mind is a great blessing, if we can bear 
it ; but unless chastened by watchings and fastings 
(II. Cor. XI. ^27.), it will commonly seduce a man 
into the notion that he is much better than he 
really is. When a man's spirits are high he is 
pleased with everything, and with himself especi- 
ally. He can act with vigor and promptness, and 
lie mistakes this mere constitutional energy for 
spiritual strength. He is cheerful and contented, 
and he mistakes this for spiritual peace. In short, 
he is in a dream, from which nothing could have 
saved him except deep humility, and nothing will 
ordinarily rouse him except sharp affliction. 

Next, we must consider the force of habit. Con- 
science at first warns us against sin ; but if we 
disregard it, it soon ceases to upbraid us ; and 
thus sins once known l)ecome secret sins. It seems 
then, and this is a startling reflection, that the more 
guilty we are, the less we know it ; for the oftener 
we sin, the less we are distressed at it. Do we not, 
on reflection, recollect instances in our exi^eriences 
of ourselves, of gradually forgetting things to be 
wrong, which once shocked us? — Such is the force 
of habit. By it, for instance, we Jive in self-indul- 
gent habits, eat and drink more than is right ; 
much less do we think of simi^licity of manners 
and abstinence as religious duties. So again, the 
duty of stated private prayer. Xt first it is omitted 
with compunction, but soon with indifference. But 
it is not less a sin, because we do not feel it to be 
such. Habit has made it a secret sin. 



ox SELF-KNOWLEDGE. 47 

To the force of habit must be added that of 
custom. Every age has its wrong ways ; and 
these have such influences that even good men are 
unconsciously misled by them. The most religious 
persons, unless they are specially watchful, will 
feel the sway of the fashion of their age, and suffer 
from it. Yet their ignorance of the mischief does 
not change the nature of their sin ; sin it is still, 
only custom makes it a secret sin. 

These remarks may impress upon us the diffi- 
culty of knowing ourselves aright, and the conse- 
quent danger to which we are exj^osed of speaking 
peace to our souls when there is no peace. Without 
self-knowledge we have no root in ourselves per- 
sonally ; we may endure for a time, but under 
temptation or affliction our virtue will not last. To 
think of these things and to be alarmed is the first 
step towards safety. To be at ease is to be unsafe. 
We must know what the evil of a sin is hereafter, 
if we do not learn it here. 

God give us the grace to choose the pain of pres- 
ent repentance, before the wrath to come ! 



Evening Meditation. 

VI. 

On the Importance of Salvation. 



"What doth it profit a man, if he gain 
the whole world, aud lose his own 
soul?" — Matth. XVI. 26. 



That our present life is short and uncertain ; that 
we are on all sides exposed to accidents, any one 
of which may, in a moment, separate us from all 



48 FIRST DAY. 

that we love and possess upon earth ; that, should 
we even escape all the perils of life, old age will, 
in a few years, inevitably dissolve this our earthly 
frame — these are familiar truths. If we strive to 
forget them, our efforts are in vain : death inces- 
santly stalks before us, meets us in the midst of 
business and diversion, and reminds us, in lan- 
guage not to be mistaken, that the shaft which so 
often strikes those around us, must very soon 
strike us also. 

What is the design of Providence in thus fre- 
quently reminding us of our mortality? It is, to 
counteract the charm by which the objects of this 
woild delude and enchant us : it is to convince us 
that that which we must so soon leave, is unworthy 
of our solicitude ; it is to induce us to direct all 
our attention to securing that which is beyond the 
reach of death. Unfortunately, however, to the 
greater part of mankind these admonitions are sent 
in vain. From whatever cause it proceeds, certain 
it is, that the greater part of mankind come to the 
borders of eternity utterly destitute of that pro- 
vision which it was the sole business of their lives 
to make. Earth and its toys have incessantly 
amused them, and while for the acquisitions that 
passed away no efforts have been wanting, for 
those possessions which alone are permanent, none 
have been exerted. 

To prevent so fatal an error in our conduct is the 
end which we propose to attain by tliis meditation, 
and for this reason we shall devote it to that most 
important of all affairs — our salvation. Our sal- 
vation is the most important, it is our only affair. 



ON THE IMPOETAXCE OF SALVATIOJST. 49 

The whole life of the greatest part of mankind 
passes away in the pursuit of the transitory goods 
of this world, without thinking seriously on etern- 
ity, or attending properly to the grand affair of 
salvation. In spite of religion and all its maxims, 
the care of temporal affairs is the most serious 
occupation of our life. It is only for the conerns 
of the soul that we are idle and inactive ; we are 
careful, assiduous and vigilant for all the rest. 
Nothing discourages "us in the pursuit of our 
worldly interest 5 i^ride, fatigues, perplexities, 
labors, hazards, the intrigues of rivals, in short, 
nothing can shake our resolution ; but when we 
are to labor for the salvation of the soul, and con- 
tend for a happy eternity, alas, we are feeble, cold 
and indifferent, though there is nothing we should 
undertake with greater fervor, since, of all affairs, 
the affair of salvation is the most important. It is 
such, that if it alone succeeds, though we should 
fail of success in every other affair, we shall be 
completely happy ; and if it alone should miscarry, 
though we should be fortunate in all the rest, we 
shall be entirely and eternally unhappy. Hence 
Christ Our Lord says in the gospel, "What will it 
profit a man, if he gain the whole world, and lose 
his own soul?" (Matth. XYI. 26.) 

To save your soul is the capital point for you ; 
as for the rest, though you should live here in 
sufferings, in misery and contempt, though you 
should be strii^ped of all your worldly possessions, 
thoiigh you should be without friends, accused, 
condemned, persecuted as the scorn and outcast of 
all men, all this is nothing if you at length arrive 



50 riEST DAY. 

at the liappy term of salvation, because you will 
then find a glory that will amply indemnify you 
for all the disgrace of the world, a glory infinite, a 
glory immortal, a glory without end. You w^ll 
then find a treasure which will amply repay you 
for all the miseries of life, for you will i:)ossess God 
Himself, Who will be your inexhaustible treasure 
in the kingdom of heaven. 

But oh, how utterly repugnant are these re- 
flections to the worUl at large ! In the world, the man 
who applies liimself with earnestness to the great 
affair of his salvation, is beheld with a feeling of 
pity and contempt. The finger of ridicule is 
pointed at him, and his conduct is stigmatized as 
the effect of a weak or gloomy mind. Thus it is 
that the first of sciences is undervalued in the 
world ; thus is this best and noblest of human 
occupations that which is the least regarded and 
pursued. 

What a deplorable blindness! Consult reason, 
consult religion, consult your own conscience : what 
will your condition be if you lose your own soul? 
Ask the rich man in the gosj^el, who at the sad 
moment of his death was buried in the flames of 
hell, what did all the false happiness of the world 
avail him, when it was followed by everlasting 
misery? Learn true wisdom at the expense of so 
many other reprobates, who are now condemned 
to eternal torments ; they can well instruct you, as 
they are fully convinced of their own folly by their 
own woeful experience. Ai>proach now any one 
of those who, while they neglected the affair of 
their salvation, drew upon themselves, by their 



ON" THE IMPORTANCE OF SALTATION. 51 

talents, their wealth, their success, the envy and 
admiration of mankind. Approach, and ask them 
what are now their sentiments with regard to salv- 
ation. They are counselors not likely to deceive. 
Bitter experience has, too late, made them wise. 
Their unanimous answer has been given in the 
Book of Wisdom : ^^We have erred from the way 
of truth, and the light of Justice hath not shined 
unto us, and the sun of understanding hath not 
risen upon us. We wearied ourselves in the way 
of iniquity and destruction, and have walked 
through hard ways, but the way of the Lord we 
have not known. What hath pride profited us? 
or what advantage hath the boasting of riches 
brought us I All those things are passed away like 
a shadow, and as a ship that passeth through the 
waves : whereof when it is gone the trace cannot 
be found." (Wisd. Y. 6 — 10.) From the testimony 
of the dead learn the emptiness of the concerns 
of this life, listening to their language from the 
inspired writer. Of the Blessed they say, '^These 
are they, whom we had sometime in derision, and 
for a parable of reproach. We fools esteemed their 
life madness, and their end without honor : behold, 
now they are numbered among the children of 
God, and their lot is among the saints." (Wisd. 
Y. 3—5.) 

But if this voice of the dead, this adjuration 
from the grave, be insufficient to arouse you to a 
sense of the importance of salvation, learn in what 
estimation the same is regarded by the God Who 
redeemed you, by the God of all knowledge and 
truth. 



52 FIEST DAY. 

From eternity your salvation bas occupied a 
place in His divine mind. With a view to this 
He gave you existence. In subordination to this 
He created the universe with all its magnificent 
array. Great as He is, insignificant as is man, 
our salvation is not beneath His most tender 
solicitude. The utmost effort of Omnipotence itself 
has been exerted to promote it. Yes, for us men 
and our salvation it was that the Son of God be- 
came man. For our salvation He became subject 
to pain and poverty, hardships and contempt. For 
our salvation He offered uj) all the actions of His 
life. Our salvation it was which drew from Him 
a flood of tears and a sweat of blood ; it bound 
Him to the pillar and crowned him with thorns. 
For it He bore the heavy cross upon His mangled 
shoulders, gave His hands and feet to be pierced 
and underwent the torments of death. Christian 
soul, a God suffering, bleeding, dying for man's 
salvation! IMan thoughtless, careless, insensible 
with regard to his own salvation! Which is the 
greater subject of astonishment? What shall we 
conclude from this striking contrast on the subject 
of salvation between the sentiments of God and 
man! What, but that God should demand back at 
the hands of His creature all that He has done and 
suffered for him in vain? What, but that God, 
Whose secret judgments are most terrible, should 
suffer the negligent Christian to proceed on his 
way, in which, in spite of so many admonitions, so 
many and so powerful helps, he has chosen to 
walk ; that He should suffer him to continue in his 
torpor, till final impenitence puts the consumma- 



ON THE IMPORTANCE OF SALYJ^ION. 53 

tion to liis guilt, and an unhai^py death closes a 
sinful life. 

Such is the inevitable consequence of a life spent 
in forgetfulness of the great affair of salvation; 
such the judgment which is daily exemplified upon 
numbers of those who fall around us. Is it not 
true, then, that of all affairs, our salvation is the 
most important, and, indeed, our only affair ? 

That salvation is our only affair, that is, the only 
affair that deserves our constant care and aj)plica- 
tion, is a truth frequently repeated in Holy Scrip- 
ture. It is recommended to us by Our Divine 
Eedeemer as the ''one thing necessary" that should 
engage our attention ; it alone can be properly called 
our own affair. Our other concerns regard those 
who are to benefit by us, or to inherit the fruits of 
our industry, but this entirely regards ourselves. 
Our other affairs may be useful, and may bring us 
some advantage and profit, but this is an affair of 
absolute and indispensable necessity ; it is an affair 
of such moment and importance, that how fortunate 
soever we may be otherwise in all our enterprises, 
we not only gain nothing, but our All is lost for 
ever if we do not succeed herein. This is the affair 
with which God has charged each person in partic- 
ular, as of first and only importance. It was not 
necessary that we should be created; the world 
was long without us, and would have still subsisted 
though we never had been in existence. But as it 
pleased the Almighty God to give us a being, so 
He could not but ordain us for some end, and for 
what end more glorious than to serve Him here on 
earth and to enjoy Him eternally in heaven here- 



54 • FIEST DAY. 

after ? All our actions, then, should be performed 
with this view, and directed to this end ; this is 
the business which should occupy us morning, 
noon and night ; this is an employment proper for 
all hours. ''In whatsoever state or condition you 
are," says St. Ambrose, ''be always attentive to 
the salvation of your soul, and take care to insure 
for yourself eternal happiness." Be not too solici- 
tous about a multiplicity of affairs which, properly 
speaking, deserve not your attention ; at least, let 
not too much anxiety disquiet your mind, except 
for your salvation. Endeavor each day to make 
progress in virtue ; pay every attention to your 
immortal soul, that precious talent which God has 
committed to your care, that valuable treasure 
which Christ has purchased with His sacred Blood ; 
that i>art of you, the most valuable, the most noble, 
and consequently the most worthy of all your care 
and attention ; spare no pains to preserve and save 
it; abandon the rest to Providence. This is a 
personal affair for you ; in a word, it is your only 
affair, your only business in this world. 

Must all other affairs be therefore abandoned 
and neglected ? No ; but they must be all referred 
to the great and important affair of your salvation. 
This must be the centre of all your actions, the end 
of all your pursuits, and the ruling principle that 
should influence you in all your undertakings ; so 
that when it is said your salvation is your only 
affair, it is not meant that you are to neglect your 
other duties. It is but the affirmation, that in the 
management of all your other affairs you are to 
have your salvation always in view, to aim at it in 



ON THE IMPORTANCE OF SALTATION". 55 

all your pursuits, and to make it your chief affair 
and j)rincipal study. You are to discharge the 
respective duties of your station with this view, 
and with the intention of pleasing God, and of 
being subservient to the designs of His Providence. 

To reduce this consideration to practice, consider 
how your daily occupations are to tend to your 
salvation. Although the greater part of your life 
is spent in the duties of your calling, you can 
sanctify them by referring all your actions to God, 
living, acting and thinking in His presence. This 
may be done in the following manner : 

In the morning, when we awake, we should 
accustom ourselves to think first of God, or some- 
thing connected with His service ; and at night let 
Him close our eyes, and let our sleep be necessary 
and healthful, not idle and expensive of time, 
nor beyond the ai^pointed hour. 

Let all the intervals or void spaces of time be 
employed in prayer, reading, meditating, permitted 
recreation and offices of mutual friendliness, ever 
remembering so to work in our calling, as to work 
out the end of this calling. 

Never engage in conversation, or undertake any 
trifling employment merely to pass away time ; for 
every day well spent may become a ''day of salva- 
tion," and time rightlj^ employed is an ''acceptable 
time." And remember, the time you trifle away 
was given you to repent in, to pray for jDardou of 
sins, to work out your salvation, to do the work of 
grace, to lay up for the day of judgment a treasure 
of good works. 

In the midst of your daily work often retire to 



56 FIEST DAY. 

God ill short prayers and ejaculations. You can 
thereby make up the want of those larger portions 
of time which, it may be, you desire for devotion, 
and in which, you think, other persons have the 
advantage of you. Thus you will reconcile the 
demands of duty with the work of your salvation. 

Avoid curiosity, and all inquiry into things that 
do not concern you. Mixing with things and affairs 
that do not concern us is employing our time to no 
good of ours, and therefore not in order to our 
salvation. 

Do not ^'the work of God negligently" and idly: 
let not your heart be with the world when your 
hands are lifted up in prayer. In honoring God 
and doing His work put forth all your strength ; 
^'Thou slialt love the Lord, thy God. . . with thy 
whole strength." (Mark XII. 30.) 

Examine your conscience every evening. The 
particular examen during the day will greatly aid 
you therein. 

Let all these things be done prudently and moder- 
ately, without scruples and vexations. 

These are common and simple rules. The reflec- 
tions from wliich they proceed are such as you 
have heard again and again, and which are contin- 
ually pressed on your attention. You know their 
importance, you know the awful consequences they 
involve. Yet, with all this knowledge, with all 
this conviction some still run blindly to perdition 
in the practical desertion of the principles which 
they profess. And whence is this ? It is because 
they know these truths as if they knew them not. 
It is because they never suffer them to make due 



ox THE IMPORTANCE OF SALTATION^ 57 

impression. To rouse you to the realization of 
their importance is the object of this retreat. 

^'Xow is the acceptable time; now is the day of 
salvation." (II. Cor. YI. 2.) Make up your 
account with God. Make amends for your care- 
lessness. Eetire from the levities and vanities to 
which you have hitherto clung. Act logically : if 
you believe yourself created for another and better 
world, if you deem salvation worthy of your labor, 
let your first attention be directed to its attainment. 
Let it enter into all your calculations ; let it deter- 
mine and regulate all your actions. In a word, in 
all that you plan, in all that you undertake, let 
your life be regulated by that truth of truths, 
' 'What doth it profit a man, if he gain the whole 
world, and lose his own soul ?" (Matth. XYI. 26.) 

PEAYER. 

O Eternal God! Who hast created me to know, 
love and serve Thee in this world, and to possess 
Thee eternally in the next : take from me all sloth- 
fulness in Thy service, that I may work out my 
salvation with fear and trembling, and may enter 
into the eternal \oj of heaven after leaving this 
vale of tears. Until that supreme moment let the 
love of Thy mercy, and the fear and dread of Thy 
majesty make me careful and inquisitive to search 
Thy will, and diligent to perform it, and to perse- 
vere in the practices of a holy life even till the last 
of my days. Through Christ Our Lord. Amen. 



58 FIEST DAY. 

Points of Meditation for next Morning. 

VII. 

Recapitulation of the preceding subject. 

1. My salvation is my own personal affair. — It is 
I, I alone, to whom is left the choice of its attain- 
ment. I can successfully achieve it, and it concerns 
me exclusively. '^For what things a man shall 
sow, those also he shall reap." (Gal. YI. 8.) It 
is, then, my j^ersonal exertion which I must employ, 
and that shall be rewarded. God, Who created me 
without my assistance, will not save me without 
my co-operation. ( St. Augustine. ) — Moreover, my 
salvation concerns my supreme happiness. The 
same as there is a sinful and harmful self-love 
there is also one demanded by religion and reason. 

2. My salvation is an affair as difficult as it is 
necessary. — By the aid of divine grace I must be 
continually intent on denying myself. This is so 
difticult, that God Himself warns us, '^How narrow 
is the gate, and how strait is the way that leadeth 
to life: and few there are that find it." (Matth. 
YII. 14.) We must die to self, in order to live 
for Christ. ''The kingdom of God suffereth viol- 
ence." (Matth. XI. 12.) But I must work out 
my salvation, if I do not wish to perish for ever. 

3. My salvation is an affair that permits of no 
delay. — To achieve it, I have many things to 
accomplish. How many faults remain for me to 
overcome, how many vices to abandon, how many 
virtues to acquire ! — And how much time have 1 
to do all this? — To-day I begin: and to-morrow, 
perhaps, I must already obey the summons to 
eternity ! 



59 

Second Day. 
Meditation during the Forenoon. 

YIII. 
Mortal Sin. 

"Know thou, and see that it is an 
evil and a bitter thing- for thee, to 
have left the I<ord thy God,"' — 
Jerem. II. 19. 

Mortal sin is so called because it kills the soul 
of the sinner by depriving it of the life of grace, 
making it liable to eternal death and damnation. 
Mortal sin is of all things the most base, the most 
vile, the most odious, the most ruinous, the most 
detrimental and the most abominable. It is an 
abomination in its own nature, and a desolation in 
its effects. Nothing is more offensive or more in- 
jurious to God, nothing more destructive or per- 
nicious to the sinner. Its malice, its enormity and 
its dismal consequences are such as render it the 
greatest of all evils, and the most deserving of our 
hatred and contempt. There appears something 
so excessively monstrous and foul in every cir- 
cumstance of mortal sin, that neither thoughts can- 
distinctly represent, nor words sufficiently ex- 
press it. 

It is evident that the grievousness of an injury 
always rises in proportion to the superior dignity 
of the person offended above the person offending ; 
and therefore to comprehend the greatness of the 
offence we must consider not only what it is in it- 
self, but also who it is that is offended, and who it 
is that offends. We are to consider, first, if the 
person offended be of exalted dignity and merit : 



60 SECOND DAY. 

secondly, if the offender be very low, mean and 
contemptible ; and thirdly, if the offence be of its 
own nature very provoking. 

It is from this clear principle, generally acknow- 
ledged, that we may judge of the atrociousness of 
the injury done to God by mortal sin, because all 
the aforesaid circumstances which are capable of 
aggravating an offence, meet together in the highest 
degree ; for it is God Himself, whose dignity is 
infinite, and whose majesty is supreme, that is 
insulted and attacked, and that by a vile, miserable 
creature, by a mere handful of dust and ashes, and 
by a most grievous offence. Mortal sin strikes 
directly at God's infinite goodness, abuses His 
infinite mercy, defies His infinite justice, and pro- 
vokes His vengeance. Malice, insolence, treach- 
ery, rebellion, jierfidiousness, ingratitude and a 
barefaced contempt of His divine majesty are its 
inseparable attendants and properities. By mortal 
sin a poor reptile of the earth impudently raises 
his head against heaven, daringly wages war 
against the King of all glory, audaciously attacks 
the supreme Being, presumptuously affronts his 
Lord, God and Creator, and impiously tramples 
upon His most sacred law. By mortal sin we 
perfidiously violate the covenant made at baptism, 
sacrilegiously break the most sacred ties of fidelity, 
and, lastly, ent^r into a league with hell, and sub- 
ject ourselves to satan. By mortal sin we repay 
the goodness of our Heavenly Father and most 
bountiful benefactor with the basest ingratitude, 
and in return for the many signal benefits, favors, 
graces and blessings conferred on us, in preference 



MORTAL SIN. 61 

to thoasands of others, we renew the iDassion and 
death of Jesus Christ, crucify Him over again, and 
trample under foot His most precious Blood, as 
St. Paul expresses it. In fine, mortal sin implies 
a barefaced contempt of the living God, as it is a 
blind preference of some created object, or criminal 
pleasure, to the eternal and sovereign God. By 
every mortal sin that the sinner is guilty of he 
turns his back to his best friend, he forsakes his 
merciful Eedeemer, he parts with his Heavenly 
Father, to feed, like the prodigal son, on the husks 
of swine ; he abandons his Creator for the sake of 
a creature ; he quits the fountain of living water to 
IDlunge into a muddy cistern, as Scripture says : he 
barters heaven for earth, and more perversely than 
the Jews who preferred Barabbas to Jesus, he 
gives the devil himself the preference before God, 
as Tertullian remarks. Nay, as St. Augustine says, 
by every mortal sin that he commits, he sells his 
soul to the devil, and for his salary and recomi^ense 
he receives nothing but a momentary satisfaction, 
a brutal pleasure, a filthy delight, a sordid, perish- 
able interest. These are the idols which the un- 
happy sinner erects on the altar of his heart and 
adores and worshii)s there to the great contempt 
and injury of the living God. This is what made 
the Lord complain through His prophet, "I have 
brought up children, and exalted them : but they 
have despised me" (Isai. I. 2.); I have left nothing 
undone to purchase their affections and gain their 
hearts, but they have dishonored me. They have 
chosen to forfeit my grace and friendship rather 
than quit their favorite sins and renounce their 
evil ways. 



62 SECOND DAY. 

Are you then surprised that the Lord, being 
thus despised, insulted and outraged by the crying 
malice of mortal sin, has from time to time mani- 
fested His indignation and hatred to it by inflicting 
the most severe punishments on the unhappy 
offenders even in this life ? The universal deluge, 
the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrha by a 
shower of fire and sulj^hur from the heavens, with 
many other visible judgments recorded in Holy 
Writ, are intended to impress us with this truth ; 
but nothing demonstrates the horrid outrage and 
injury committed against the infinite majesty of 
God by mortal sin, nothing shows the great hatred 
He bears unto it more clearly, than the passion 
and death of the world's Redeemer. Here we see 
that one mortal sin of disobedience was so odious, 
so offensive, so injurious, and so provoking to the 
Almighty, that the gates of heaven were thereby 
shut against mankind, and that nothing less than 
the Precious Blood of Jesus Christ, true God and 
true man, was able to make condign satisfaction 
for it, and to atone for it in the rigor of justice. It 
is from the bitterness of the remedy, says St. Ber- 
nard, that we way form some idea of the baseness 
and enormity of mortal sin, and truly judge how 
horrid and abominable it must be in the sight of 
God. And really, were it not infinitely horrid, 
odious and detestable to the last degree, it would 
not oblige the great God, Who is so prone to mercy, 
and Whose very nature is goodness, to condemn 
to unquenchable flames a soul made after His own 
image and likeness, created to enjoy Him for ever, 
and ransomed with the Most Precious Blood of His 
beloved and only-begotten Son. 



MOETAL SIN. ' 63 

Such, notwithstanding God's mercy, is the 
punishment reserved in the next life for the soul 
that departs this life in the state of a single mortal 
sin unrepented ; for, as Holy Scripture assures us, 
"the wages of sin is death" (Eom. YI. 23.), the 
death of the soul here, and eternal damnation here- 
after. Hence the prophet Ezechiel says, "The 
soul that sinneth, the same shall die." (Ezech. 
XVIII. 20.) Though incorrui)tible in nature, and 
immortal in substance, the soul dies in the sight of 
God, and becomes more loathsome and offensive 
than a putrefying carcass, from the very instant it 
loses God and His grace by mortal sin ; for as it is 
the soul of man that gives life to the body, and 
consequently, as the body dies when the soul de- 
parts from it, so, in like manner, the soul dies 
when it is deprived by mortal sin of the super- 
natural life of sanctifying grace. This made St. 
Augustine say, "A sinner in the state of mortal 
sin carries a corjpse within himself wherever he 
goes, inasmuch as he carries a dead soul in a living 
body, buried therein as in a grave, and exposed 
every instant to the danger of being buried in 
hell." And the holy doctor continues, "Oh, that 
I were able to raise such unfortunate sinners to the 
hapj)y life of God's grace, and to make them as 
solicitous for the j)reservation of the sui)ernatural 
life of their souls, as they generally are for the i)re- 
servation of the transitory life of their perishable 
bodies." But, alas, everyone dreads the death of 
his body ; few dread the death of their souls. 
Mortal man labors incessantly to ward off his cor- 
poral death, though he knows it to be unavoidable; 



64 SECOND DAY. 

and in the meanwhile he takes little or no pains to 
avoid mortal sin, though it is the greatest and most 
dreadful misfortune that can ever happen to any 
one in this world. 

To be more fully convinced hereof we need but 
consider, that as long as a person is in the happy 
state of grace, his soul is a favorite of heaven, an 
object of God's complaceny, and a living temple 
and sanctuary of the Holy Ghost ; it is embellished 
with His Heavenly gifts and blessings, enriched 
with virtues and merits, enlivened with faith, 
animated with hope, inflamed with divine love, 
and resembles Jesus Christ by the happy union it 
has with Him, as iron, when it is penetrated and 
inflamed with fire, resembles fire itself, and glows 
and shines with its heat and brightness. But no 
sooner is mortal sin committed, when the soul is 
rendered a sink of filth and corruption, and a 
receptacle of satan ; it immediately loses all its 
former beauty and splendor, fervor and lustre ; is 
stripped of all its rich and valuable ornaments ; is 
robbed of all its spiiitual treasures ; is disfigured, 
profaned and j^olluted. All its accumulated merits 
are instantly swept away much after the same 
manner that a i)lentiful harvest is at once swept 
away by a sudden inundation ; for as the prophet 
Ezechiel says, '-If the just man turn himself away 
from his justice, and do iniquity according to all 
the abominations which tlie wicked man useth to 
work, shall he live? All his justice, which he had 
done, shall not be remembered: in the prevari- 
cation by which he hath prevaricated, and in his 
sin which he hath committed, in them he shall 



MORTAL SIN. 65 

die." (Ezech. XYIII. 24.) The unfortunate sinner, 
therefore, who departs this life in the state of 
mortal sin unrepented, may Ibid an everlasting 
farewell to heaven, into which nothing defiled can 
enter ; he may bid an eternal farewell to the 
beatific vision of the ever-blessed Trinity ; hell is 
to be the place of his abode for ever and ever ; 
infernal spirits are to be his perpetual companions, 
incomprehensible torments are to be his everlasting 
inheritance ; to burn with merciless devils in un- 
quenchable flames of fire is to be his portion for a 
never ending eternity. 

Such are the dismal consequences of mortal sin ; 
which clearly proves how offensive and injurious 
it must be to God, and how detrimental and de- 
structive to the sinner himself. Therefore, if we 
have had the misfortune, at any time of our past 
life, to fall into mortal sin, let us humble ourselves 
before God, and incessantly use our best endeavors 
to regain the love and friendship of our Creator, 
and to recover the valuable treasure of sanctifying 
grace by a true and sincere repentance. Let us 
resolve from this instant rather to suffer the most 
cruel death than ever to be guilty of a mortal sin 
in thought, word or deed for the future. Let the 
fruit of this meditation on mortal sin be — never 
to live in a state in which we would be afraid to die. 

PEAYEE. 

Prostrate before Thee, O Father of mercies and 
God of all consolation, I most profoundly beseech 
Thee to finish what Thou hast begun in me. Thou 
hast shown me the evil of sin : grant me, I beseech 



66 SECOND DAY. 

Thee, from this hour the grace to avoid it, and to 
devote the remainder of my life to Thy service, till 
I have the happiness to see and contemplate, to 
possess and enjoy Thee in the sacred mansions of 
eternal bliss. Amen. 



Spiritual Reading. 

IX. 

Reli^iou iu Dailj Life. 

There are many things in our daily life to distract 
us in our prayers and spiritual exercises, and to 
turn away our thoughts from the important busi- 
ness of our salvation. There is the duty of fulfilling 
the obligations of our state of life, there are the 
cares, the troubles, the anxities which come to every 
one, and which are to so many, occasions of sin. 
And the question naturally suggests itself, how are 
these things to be managed ? On the one hand we 
cannot lay aside our business — we' were born to 
work and work we must — we must take things as 
we find them, we must meet the world as it comes. 
But, on the other hand, with all this, we must save 
our souls ; if we do not succeed in that, the gain of 
the whole world will i)rofit us nothing. Xow, how 
are these things to be reconciled 1 

When Our Lord said to St. Peter, ^ ^Launch out 
into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught, ' ' 
the Apostle replied, 'Olaster, we have labored all 
night, and have taken nothing : but at Thy wo^-d I 
will let down the net. ' ' (Luke Y. 4. — 5. ) Perhaps 
you have often made St. Peter's comi^laint your 



RELIGION IN DAILY LIFE. 67 

own, suppose you were also to make your own the 
remainder of his speech 1 Having declared that 
you have labored a long time, and effected little or 
nothing, suppose you were now to say, '^For the 
future I will do my work in the name of the Lord ; 
I will put it under his protection and do it for His 
sake. I will begin to make religion a part of my 
daily life, to take supernatural views of things, to 
put before me supernatural ends." 

Make your daily life religious, put a supernatural 
stamp upon your acts, that they may not serve 
only the purposes of this life, but may also pass 
current in the kingdom of grace, and purchase the 
treasures of eternal glory. 

There are a great many persons, and by no means Mb 
badly disposed persons, who maintain a sharp 
distinction between their worldly lives and their 
religious observances. Many a man uses his religion 
precisely as he uses his Sunday coat. It is far too 
good for everyday wear ; he puts it by carefully all 
the week, and uses it only on Sunday. l!^ow all 
this is very prudent in the matter of clothes, but it 
is quite a mistake in the matter of religion, because 
religion, to be of any service, must be something 
that is not put off and on, something that makes a 
part of our very selves. We have our soul to save 
on weekdays as well as on Sundays ; and when the 
Church consecrates one day specially to God, she 
by no means intends to leave room for the conclusion 
that the other six belong to the world, the flesh, or 
the devil. All our days must be holy. 

First, we must make them holy by avoiding at 
least mortal sin, if we have the slightest wish to 



68 SECOND DAY. 

avoid hell. But we must try and do more — we 
must not only avoid evil, we must also do good. 
TTe are apt to draw a wide distinction between 
those of God's servants whom we call saints, and 
ordinary Christians like ourselves. And a wide 
distinction there undoubtedly is. But let not the 
distinction blind us to the common likeness that 
must exist between the saints and our poor weak 
selves, if we ever enter heaven. We all hope to 
be saved ; but has it ever struck you that the only 
claim you will have to heaven is the title that you, 
too, are a saint ? There will be no human being in 
heaven who is not a saint, and whose sanctity has 
not been attained in this mortal life. Hence, if 
f(^ you really wish to avoid hell and gain heaven, 
there is just one way — become a saint. 

Now, let us see what this means. What is your 
idea of a saint ! In the first place you know that 
you are far from being like the saints of whom you 
read, and you have a vague impression that in 
order to be a saint you would have to do something 
extraordinary, that you would have to break up 
your settled course of life, lay aside your worldly 
pursuits, spend on your knees in prayer the time 
you now spend working for your daily bread. 
Perhaps in addition to this you have certain floating 
notions of hair shirts and disciplines, of fasts carried 
to the verge of starvation, and of austerities that 
frighten this cowardly body of ours. It may be 
too, that you are under the impression that it would 
be essential to fall into ecstasy, to see a vision, to 
work a miracle. All these elements enter vaguely 
into the popular notion of a saint. Xow, suppose 



EELIGION IN DAILY LIFE. 69 

you found that none of these things are absolutely 
essential to sanctity. Suppose you found that none 
of these things, ecstasies and visions, are essential, 
and that no one is bound, on the peril of his salva- 
tion, to work a miracle. Suppose you found that, 
though fasting and austerities are admirable means 
of sanctity, yet you can be, in your measure, a 
saint without carrying them to any extraordinary 
length. Suppose you found that you could be, to 
all intents and jDuri^oses, a saint, without making 
any violent change in your condition of life. Sup- 
pose, in short, that you could make yourself a saint 
by just doing the work you have to do every day, 
if you only did it rightly — would not this encourage 
you to begin at once and try to be a saint on such 
easy conditions? — Xow, this is just the case. The 
saints, however they differed in gifts and graces, 
all showed one thing in common — they did rightly, 
they did for God, the duties of their state of life, 
whatever it happened to be. 

This is the way of it. First, you must keep free 
from mortal sin. Next, you must daily beg of God 
the grace you stand in need of, and lastly you must 
do your daily acts for God. Offer up to Him your 
daily work, your trials, your troubles, the crosses 
and annoyances you meet with, everything you do, 
and say, and think, and suffer, through the infinite 
merits of Our Lord Jesus Christ. If a person would 
do only this : if, being free from mortal sin, he 
made this offering every morning and evening, and 
renewed it during the day whenever it came to his 
mind, he would, without any trouble, be advancing 
in sanctity every moment of his life. 



70 SECOND DAY. 

Our Blessed Lord has laid down for us a very 
simple rule of life. ^^If any man will come after 
me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross 
daily, and follow me." (Luke IX. 23.) From the 
fact that Our Lord uses the word '^ daily" it is 
evident that He does not mean any extraordinary 
cross, but just such crosses as daily life is able to 
bring. In his dealings with the world, a man 
learns nothing sooner than. that he cannot always 
have his own wa3^ He must deny himself. Why, 
then, will lie not do for God wliat he has to do, in 
spite of himself, for a world which can neither give 
him peace h-ere nor heaven hereafter 1 

It is the same thing in tlie matter of crosses. A 
man may, in the perversity of his heart, refuse to 
be a disciple of Christ ^t all : does he thereby escape 
his cross I Oh, no! The troubles of life, the cares 
and the annoyances which we call crosses, will come 
to him as well as to his Christian neighbors, and 
he must bear them. All his life he has had to 
deny himself, and to take up his cross ; but he 
would not do the last and easiest part, he would 
not follow Jesus, he would not put himself in the 
state of grace, and do these things for God. And 
at the bitter end he will find himself in hell ; and 
he will find that others, his friends and neighbors, 
who did the labors he did, who bore the crosses he 
bore, who worked, perhaps, by his side, in the 
same j^ursuits or in the same workshop, these, 
l>ecause they lived for God, will be receiving the 
reward of their works in everlasting happiness. 

If hitherto you have been careless about doing 
your daily duties for God, about directing the 



ON THE VIRTUE OF HUMILITY. 71 

intention of all your acts to Him, resolve to begin 
now. Make a resolution in the presence of God 
that for the future you will, at your morning and 
evening prayers, and as often during the day as 
the thought occurs to you, offer up to God, through 
the merits of Jesus, your thoughts, words and 
actions. The infinite merits of Our Saviour are at 
our disposal if we only will use them. Through 
them, our hope and salvation, we can make' our 
own poor lives meritorious, and make our every 
act a preparation for the solemn, inevitable hour 
when we shall be judged according to our -works. 



Afternoon Conference. 

X. 

On the Virtue of Humility. 

Divines distinguish two kinds of humility : the 
one of the spirit and understanding, the other of 
the heart and will. Humility of the spirit and 
understanding makes us know and acknowledge 
that of ourselves we are nothing, and that we owe 
all that we have to God's pure bounty. It does 
not consist, as is generally imagined, in placing 
ourselves beneath what we are in reality, but in 
doing ourselves the exactest and strictest justice, 
and in clearly seeing and knowing our own in- 
digence and miseries. Humility of the heart and 
will is founded in a feeling sense and an experi- 
mental knowledge of our own Weakness. It makes 
us sincerely despise ourselves in our hearts, and 
willing to be despised by others, from a conviction 
that we are deserving of contempt. 



72 SECOND DAY. 

'HoTT few persons shall we find who are habitu- 
ally in this interior disposition ! How few are there 
who continually carry in their hearts this intimate 
conviction of their own insufficiency and un worthi- 
ness! There is nothing in which we more frequently 
deceive ourselves. We believe, with a speculative 
faith, that all creatures are nothing of themselves, 
and that all glory should be given to God alone ; 
but in practice we do not con form our sentiments 
with this belief. Few comprehend rightlj" what 
humility is. ''Many grasp at the shadow", says 
St. Jerome, "but few embrace the substance of 
humility." Many are humble in their words and 
in their exterior conduct, but inwardly they are 
the dupes of a subtle refined pride, which they 
artfully disguise and conceal under the mask of an 
apparent humility and the cloak of a feigned mod- 
esty. The humility of most persons goes no farther 
than their understanding ; it does not reach their 
heart and affection. Yet liumility of the under- 
standing will avail them little without humility of 
the heart and will. The evil spirits themselves 
understand, and know full well their own baseness, 
abjection and indignity, but they want humility 
of the heart and will. True Christian humility, 
says St. Bernard, resides partly in the understand- 
ing and partly in the will. It is a virtue, says the 
holy doctor, by which a man, from a true knowledge 
of himself, is contemptible in his own eyes. It 
springs from a true knowledge of our own in- 
firmities and imi)erfections, and makes us under- 
value the judgments of men, and disregard the 
empty praises and applauses of the world. 



ON THE VIRTUE OF HUMILITY. 73 

There is an infused humility, which is obtained 
chiefly through the channel of conteni]3lation and 
devout, humble prayer, and there is an acquired 
humility, which is obtained by repeated acts of 
humiliation. Infused humility enlightens the soul 
in all its views, and makes it clearly see and feel 
its own absolute indigence. One ray of this heavenly ' 
light discovers to us our own nothingness much 
better than all our study and reflections on our- 
selves can do, as one ray of the sun enlightens the 
earth much better than all the stars together. 
St. Bernard, speaking of acquired humility, says, 
'^If we do not exercise humiliations we cannot 
attain to humility ; for humiliation is the road to 
humility, and produces it, as meekness in suffering, 
tribulations and injuries produces patience.'' 

In truth, we shall find many pressing motives 
and inducements to embrace all kind of humili- 
ations as due to us, if we do but take a close view 
of ourselves, and consider, with St. Bernard, what 
we have been, what we are by nature, what we are 
become by sin, what we should be by co-operating 
with God's grace, and what kind of beings we are 
to be hereafter, when death shall reduce us to dust 
and ashes. Everything preaches humility to us on 
the one hand, and gratitude to our Creator on the 
other. He alone is the origin, the term and centre 
of all that is good, and consequently all honor, 
praise and glory are due to Him alone ; we owe all 
to Him, and have nothing of ourselves but igno- 
rance, weakness, misery and sin. Of our own nature 
we are the very abstract of frailty, and an un- 
fathomed abyss of corruption, capable of nothing 



74 SECOND DAY. 

when left to ourselves, but rushing headlong into 
all kinds of disorders. All the good qualities that 
we may be perhaps supposed to have, whether of 
nature or of grace, are the pure gifts of God, and 
the immediate effects of His goodness. We have 
nothing of our own but sin. This, indeed, and this 
alone can we call our own. Whatever we have 
beyond sin, is the gift of our Maker. 

What can be more humiliating 1 What pride can 
hold out against this reflection ? We are sure that 
we have offeuded the Lord our God, and we are 
not sure that our sorrow for our sins has had all 
the qualities that are necessary to entitle us to the 
benefit of divine mercy, or that our penance has been 
proportioned to the greatness of our offences. We 
are marching incessantly towards the grave, un- 
certain what will be our lot in the other world. 
Should not this dreadful uncertainty alarm us ? Is 
it not a just ground to make us profoundly humble? 
Even though we were assured tliat our past sins 
were all forgiven ; though we were assured of being 
at present in the state of grace, still we can have 
no manner of assurance that we shall persevere 
unto the end and die in the state of grace. There 
can be no security here on earth, says St. Bernard, 
after the first angel has been lost in heaven, the 
first man in paradise, and Judas, the ai)Ostle, lost 
in the school of Jesus Christ. However good we 
may be, we may still change, and alas, to change 
no more for eternity. 

After all these considerations, how deplorable 
must our insensibility be, if we entertain senti- 
ments of pride and vain-glory, or haughtily prefer 



ON THE VIRTUE OF HUMILITY. 75- 

ourselves in word, or in thought even to the- 
greatest sinner on earth ! 

After having considered that nothing is more 
reasonable or more just than that we should be 
profoundly humble, it yet remains to prove that 
nothing is more pleasing to God, or more neces- 
sary to our salvation, than that we should be 
humble. 

Do but open the sacred volumes, and you will 
be convinced of the malice and pernicious effects 
of pride, and of the benefits and salutary effects of 
humility. Humility is the first example that our 
Blessed Saviour has given us, the first lesson He 
has taught us, the favorite virtue of His whole 
life, the most constant maxim of His law. His life, 
says St. Augustine, was a chain of virtues, and 
one continued series of good works ; but from the 
time of His birth in the stable of Bethlehem unto 
the hour of His death on Calvary He proposed 
humility in a special manner for our instruction. 
This made St. Bernard remark, '^O humility, hu- 
mility, how precious, how amiable, and how dear 
shouldst thou be to us after such an example, since 
the eternal Son of the living God was pleased to 
be incarnated with thee, and to expire in thy arms 
on the cross!" 

Nothing renders us more acceptable in the sight 
of God than humility. It was humility that ren- 
dered the Blessed Virgin Mary so acceptable in the 
sight of the Most Holy Trinity, and raised her to 
the eminent dignity of Mother of God. Hence it is 
that she attributes to her humility alone all the 
signal favors and blessings that were bestowed 



76 SECOND DAY. 

upon her, as appears from her own canticle of 
praise and thanksgiving, in which she says ex- 
pressly, "Because He hath regarded the humility 
of His handmaid, behold from henceforth all gener- 
ations shall call me blessed." (Luke I. 48.) 

\Yithout this humility the other means of sal- 
vation become useless and unprofitable. It is from 
it that prayer, which is the ordinary means to obtain 
God's grace, derives its virtue and efficacy. Pen- 
ance, which is the last resource of the sinner, can 
have no force unless his heart be humbled and 
touched with a profound sentiment of his own 
unworthiness, and the idea of the sovereign majesty 
of God Whom he offended. Bat if we are pro- 
foundly humble, and earnestly sue for grace and 
mercy, though our sins were so numerous as grains 
of sand on the sea shore, they will all be forgiven ; 
for God can refuse no favor when true humility 
petitions for it. He retires from the proud, and 
stoops to the humble, as St. Augustine says. He 
resists the one, and gives grace in abundance to 
the other. We have a remarkable instance hereof 
in the proud pharisee and the humble publican 
mentioned in the gospel. The presuming jjharisee 
was rejected, whilst the humble sinner became 
acceptable. Why so ? Because, as St. Chrysostom 
observes, the virtues of the one were accompanied 
with pride, and the vices of the other were attended 
by humility. Such, then, is the wonderful force 
and efficacy of humility, that in one moment it can 
make a reprobate a saint, as on the contrary pride 
cah in one moment make a just man a reprobate. 
How odious, then, must pride be in the sight of 



ON THE yiETUE OF HUMILITY. 77 

God, and how amiable, how necessary must hu- 
mility be I Without it no virtue can be acceptable ; 
without it the whole fabric of spiritual life must 
inevitably fall to the ground, for it is the basis and 
foundation of every virtue, and the corner-stone of 
the spiritual edifice. He that does not build upon it 
builds on sand, and whatever may appear to be 
virtue is no more than a shadow, a phantom ; for 
the grace of God, from whence every true virtue 
proceeds, is given only to the humble, and does 
not descend into a proud soul. 

St. Cyprian therefore calls humility the root of 
all virtues, and the gate of religion ; and St. Chry- 
sostom says it is impossible to rise to the higher 
degrees of perfection without passing first through 
the lower, which consist in humility. St. Augustine 
compares perfection to a grand and stately edifice, 
which rises high in proportion as the foundation 
is laid low ; so that virtue always increases in pro- 
portion to humility. The same holy doctor goes 
further, and asks, ^'What is the first thing in all 
religion ? Humility. What is the second 1 Hu- 
mility. What is the third ? Humility. There is 
no other road to heaven ; for as the sin of pride is 
the road to hell, the contrary virtue of humility 
must necessarily be the road to heaven.'* Where- 
fore, if we wish one day to enter into heaven, we 
must necessarily take a road quite different from 
that by which the apostate angels and our first 
parents have been led astray. We must, in a 
word, renounce and shun pride, and embrace the 
opposite virtue of humility. In vain do we expect 
to be of the number of the elect, and to inherit 



78 SECOND DAY. 

heaven^ unless we bear some resemblance to Our 
Lord and Master, who invites us, '^Learn of me, 
because I am meek, and humble of heart." (Matth. 
XI. 29.) 

Should we therefore, not conclude, that nothing 
is more reasonable, nothing more just, nothing 
more necessary, than that we should be profoundly- 
humble both in spirit and heart ? Let us frequently 
implore this virtue of God, saying with St. Augus- 
tine, ''O Lord, teach me to know Thee, and to know 
myself" — to know Thee, that I may love and 
glorify Thee in all things ; to know myself, that I 
may never ascribe anything to myself or my own 
merit. 

Evening fleditation. 

XI. 
On Death. 

"Death worketh in us." — 
II. Cor. IV. 12. 

Death is an essential concomitant of our nature. 
*'It is decreed for all men once to die." (Hebr. 
IX. 27.) Indeed, so hopeless is the escape from 
it, that we may say man, however reluctantly, has 
made his mind up to it, and silently acquiesced in 
what is inevitable. By faith we believe the other 
grand truths — judgment, hell, heaven ; but we do 
not see them. Death we witness every day. The 
delusion of living long is common enough, but the 
expectation of living for ever is an error too gross 
to have ever entered the mind of man. 

Since, then, death is so certain, so inevitably 
certain ; since it is so surely coming, and there is 



ON DEATH. 79 

no hope or possibility to escape from it, let us for 
once weigh our own words, and see what it is when 
we say, ''we must die". A lively thought of death 
has wrought a thousand conversions and changes 
of life : may it please God to work a change in us " 
during this most important meditation. 

It would seem that a coming event so awful, and 
at the same time so certain, should engross the 
whole attention of the rational being whom it con- 
cerns. The truth is that men, unable to blind 
themselves to the prospect, take refuge from the 
certainty of the event in its uncertainty ; that is, 
they heed it not, because the time of its accom- 
plishment is perhaps remote, and certainly un- 
defined. 

First : The time of death is, perhaps, remote. 
What chance does this aspect of death give us *? 
Twenty, thirty, or perhaps fifty years. And what 
are these ? If they appear something in prospect, 
view them in retrospect ; examine them by the past. 
"What are now those twenty, or thirty, or fifty years 
which were once before you, and are now behind 
you? They appeared long then: what are they 
now? Dwindled down to a point, they have scarcely 
marked a trace on the memory. The years to 
come are of the same nature ; their other extremity, 
though indistinct to your eye, is not undefined or 
unfixed ; while you, on your part, are continually 
hastening along, taking silently but rapidly year 
from year, till at last, while intent on the objects 
around you, you will startle to find yourself at the 
extremity which now seems so distant. You can, 
at will, conceive this. Imagination has that power 



80 SECOND DAY. 

over the future, which memory has <>ver the past. 
Let it transport you, then, to the spot, supposing 
the intervening years past, and you are immediately 
amid all the fearful realities of death just as if they 
were at this moment to occur. 

Secondly: Eemote or not, the time of death is 
certainly undefined. — Yes, but is this a motive of 
security to a rational being 1 Is it not rather the 
very reason of fear ? For, what does it mean ? — It 
means that there is not a single moment of life, in 
any stage of it, but may be the last; it means that 
any one of these instants, as it passes, may bring 
along death and all circumstances and consequences 
attendant upon it. Or is, perhaps, youth a security 
against death I Countless are the silent monitors 
how deceitful is the j^romise of youth : we pass and 
repass on the graves of the young. — Is middle age 
surer ? Its full expanded frame, its settled maturity 
seem to promise better security and to diminish the 
risk ; but death has there, too, frequent victims, 
and we have seen striking instances where middle 
age, uninterrupted health and a vigorous frame were 
no security, but emphatically proved to us that 
there is absolutely no X)eriod of life that does not 
verge on the grave. What, then, follows ? — That 
it is the height of folly, not knowing the time of 
our death, fully aware that we may die at any 
moment, not to be always prepared for it. ^'If 
then thou shalt not watch, I will come to thee as a 
thief, and thou shalt not know at what hour I shall 
come to thee." (Apoc. III. 3.) 

Sooner or later, then, soon at the latest — for the 
longest life is short and fleet in ending — it will go 



ON DEATH. 81 

abroad that we are dying. Our turu will be come. 
Will that day come upon us unawares ? — That we 
cease not both to fear death and to prepare for it, 
let us engage in the following considerations. 

Happy the man who lives every day as if it were 
to be his last. Unhappy, on the other hand, is he 
that defers his preparation to his death-bed, and 
puts the never ending eternity on the poor chance 
of a late repentance, when the dulness and stupidity 
caused by his last illness scarcely allow of any 
serious application of his thoughts to this most 
important of all his concerns. 

Nothing can be conceived more wretched, more 
dismal or more deplorable than the death of the 
wicked who, about to be cited before the awful 
tribunal of an injured God, have nothing to offer 
Him but a long train of crimes and disorders. If 
they look back into their past life, they find the 
good works they have done too inconsiderable when 
balanced with their multiplied sins. The remem- 
brance of the graces, invitations and calls of heaven 
which they resisted; the many opi^ortunities of 
storing up eternal treasures which they neglected ; 
the talents and gifts of God which they misemployed ; 
the holy sacraments which they abused — all these 
misdeeds set before their eyes such a dismal scene 
of woe, distress and confusion, that they now 
experience the truth of the words of the royal 
prophet, ''The sorrows of death have encompassed 
me, and the perils of hell have found me." (Ps. 
CXIV. 3. ) Their very prayers condemn and upbraid 
them with sloth and negligence. And what still 
adds misery to misery, the pains and agonies of 



82 SECOND DAY. 

their sickness give them little or no leisure or 
ability to apply themselves seriously to the great 
work of a perfect conversion to God. — God, indeed, 
may show mercy to them at the last moment, for 
which reason we are not to form a rash judgment, 
nor pass sentence on any particular sinner ; but is 
it credible that sinners who abuse God's mercy, 
and tempt Him by designing to live in sin and 
then to die in grace, should snatch heaven in a 
moment, when the best Christians with difficulty 
attain it in many years ! 

The just man, on the contrary, will have nothing 
of this to fear at the hour of his death, because he 
never fixed his happiness on worldly trifles, but 
raising his heart to God, was always faithful to His 
divine law. Standing on the verge of eternity, he 
is ready to meet death in the well-grounded hope of 
entering into the joy of his Lord. The assurance 
of a well-spent life ; the merit of t^iose virtues 
which his humility concealed from the eyes of men ; 
the multitude of good works that surround him; 
the perfect conformity to the will' of God, and other 
happy dispositions with which he closes his eyes 
and yields up his soul into his Creator's hands — 
all this makes him cheerful to leave this world, 
and welcome the happy hour that is to put an end 
to his trials and labors, and unite him to his God. 

To impress the thought of death more deeply on 
our minds, let us further reflect, what is the meaning 
of death for us personally. 

Strange as it is, we seem as if we expected to die 
somehow in the person of another, so little do we 
enter into what we say, so feebly, so remotely do 



ON DEATH. 83 

we apply it to ourselves. Eemember, then, for 
once, that when we say we are to die, it is our own 
self, that very frame we now animate, that is to 
verify the words. It is those very limbs we have 
about us, those same arms we now move so freely 
and make so promptly subservient to our wants, 
that, unnerved by the touch of death, will then lie 
weak and powerless by our side. Apply your 
hand, and feel how warm and vigorous the pulse 
of life plays within its secret chamber ; that same 
breast will then be forsaken by its essential heat, 
and vibrate no more with vital motion. It is that 
same tongue, now so much at our command, which 
answers so promptly all our thoughts and desires, 
that will then be parched up with mortal thirst, 
and cleave to the palate inarticulate and motionless. 
Those very eyes which now view those about us 
will then swim in the mist of death, and stand 
fixed and paralyzed in their sockets. It is the 
same ear with which you now hear these words, 
that are then to relax their fibres, and echo no 
more with the sounds of this world. Eeview the 
rest of your frame, and you will find that you have 
actually about you the instruments of your own 
fate : it is in one or the other of these organs that 
you are to receive the stroke of death. They all 
stand open and vulnerable, waiting only the com- 
mission from above. This, at least, is certain, 
that whoever you may be, or whatever your pro- 
gress in life, death already has its eye upon you, 
and has ever fixed its unerring aim ; and that your 
vital frame is now not more certainly in the posses- 
sion of life, health and vigor, than it will be, and 



84 SECOND DAY. - 

that soon, lifeless, disolved, and confounded abso- 
lutely with the vulgar mould on which you now 
stand. 

Considering then, these points : the uncertainty 
of the time of death, the certainty of its occurrence, 
and that we, personally are its prey — what is the 
plain inference that we must draw? — Evidently 
this, that it is the great business of our life to 
prepare for death. Let the thought of death deter- 
mine us in all our actions and have a part in all 
our calculations. It will oppose its salutary influ- 
ence to the allurements of passion and the seductions 
of temptation. Such has been the practice of the 
wisest and best of men ; it made their lives holy 
and their deaths happy, and is a sure means of 
procuring for us the same blessing. 

PRAYER. 

O merciful Jesus, Who neither in life nor in 
death forsakest those who put their trust in Thee : 
grant that I may live in Thy grace and die in Thy 
favor. May Thy sacred name be the last accent of 
my tongue, the last aspiration of my heart, the last 
thought of my soul, that whenever I depart this 
life, I may, through Thy merits, be admitted to the 
mansions of eternal bliss. Amen. 



85 
Points of Meditation for next morning. 

XII. 
Eternity. 

"Man shall go into the house of his 
eternity."— Keel. XII. 15. 

1. After death J follows eternity. — My eternity 
depends on my life. There is notMng surer. ''Ac- 
cording to the works of his hands it shall be repaid 
him." (Job XII. 14.) ' 'For what things a man 
shall sow, those also shall he reap." (Gal. YI. 8.) 
Our good and wicked works are so many seeds for 
eternity. Because I am the author of my works, I 
am also the author of my eternity. Hence, when I 
recollect my frailties, and the carelessness of which 
I have been guilty, I have reason to fear ; but I 
have also reason to hope, for, after all it depends 
on me whether or not I ensure heaven for myself. 

2. My eternity depends on my short life. — What 
is time, compared with eternity ? A term hastening 
towards its end ; a dream that vanishes ; a nothing 
— when compared with eternity. — How do the 
blessed in heaven, how do the reprobate in hell 
now regard time and eternity? 

3. My eternity depends, perhaps, on one moment of 
my life. — Grace has its moments. God is the Lord 
of His gifts ; therefore He can grant them according 
to His will. To what degree of sanctity and happi- 
ness can one moment of grace lead me if I make 
good use of it ! However, in the same manner one 
such moment may be the occasion of my eternal 
ruin, if I do not accept and co-operate with the 
grace offered me in it. The neglect of one single 
inspiration of grace may be the cause of my eternal 
damnation, just as one co-operation with a divine 
inspiration may be the beginning, for me, of an 
eternity of bliss. 



86 

Third Day. 

Meditation during the Forenoon. 

XIII. 
Venial Sin. 

"He that contemueth small things, 
shall fall by little and little." — 

Eccl. XIX. 1. 

After mortal sin, venial sin is the greatest of all 
possible evils. ' 'He is truly wise, ' ' says St. Bernard, 
<'who esteems things as they are." St. Thomas 
says, "By venial sin the soul is disordered in 
adhering to some worldly good, but not so far as 
to turn from the last end." Thus the vital prin- 
ciple of grace remains. We may say the soul 
becomes infirm, but does not die. An illustration 
will throw light on the subject. It often happens 
that some indisposition overtakes a man, such that 
persons skilled in medicine, when asked if it is 
dangerous, answer, *'Not at present, but it may 
turn out very serious. There is nothing much 
amiss yet; at the same time, if it be not checked, 
and much more, if it be neglected , it will be serious. ' ' 

It is true, venial sin does not contemn God as 
mortal sin does ; but it is also true that it does not 
hold Him in that just estimation which He deserves. 
It opposes itself to the divine will, but in a certain 
manner ; as St. Thomas says, it acts beside the law 
rather than against it. It offends God by not 
observing the divine precept perfectly. If so, how 
can it be called trivial ? To St. Bonaventure this 
saying appeared to be a blasphemy. In venial sin 
we have to consider not so much the slight trans- 



VENIAL SIN. 87 

gression of the divine commandments, as the in- 
finite Majesty of God, whose command is not 
executed with sufficient exactness. 

If a man do not execute the divine will in a 
small thing, he commits a fault which has no 
excuse, since he could easily avoid the transgres- 
sion. If to avoid it, he had to labor much, or to 
overcome a great repugnance, he might be pitied 
if he failed. But what strength is requisite to 
overcome in a slight thing? For this reason the 
fault is inexcusable. 

Two things of great importance are to be con- 
sidered in venial sin : 1) The person who is offended, 
namely God, our King, Eedeemer, Father; 2) The 
person who offends, that is, a just soul, who, by 
sanctifying grace is the adopted child and spouse 
of God. 

When there is question of a great personage, the 
least want of respect is a considerable slight. Shall 
venial sin, which offends the Majesty of God, be 
considered slight? ^'It is not so," exclaims St. 
Bernard; '4t is never trivial to contemn the Deity, 
even in the smallest degree. ' ' The law of Almighty 
God should be kept as the apple of the eye, to 
which even a little straw causes pain and trouble. 
''Keep my commandments, and thou shalt live; 
and my law as the apple of thy eye. ' ' (Pro v. YII. 2. ) 

If we consider in God the title of Father, what a 
disloyal and ungrateful son would he be who should 
thus express himself, '*I will not take away the life 
of my father, nor even wound him mortally. But 
I will displease him from morning until night, I 
will never do anything to please him ; on the con- 



88 THIRD DAY. 

trarjj I will always prick and wound him slightly." 
What an unworthy son would this be ! — I am 
precisely that most ungrateful child to a God Who 
is to me so loving and beneficent a Father. I think 
nothing of continually displeasing Him ; He might 
justly reprehend me, ''If I be a Father, where is 
your love towards me?" I have become like to 
those Jews who did not crucify Jesus, but ridiculed, 
beat and scourged Him. Should such impiety 
appear to me as nothing ? 

If the person who commits venial sin be con- 
sidered, how much the crime increases! It is com- 
mitted by a just soul, who by sanctifying grace is 
the friend of God, His spouse and adopted child. 
Who is not aware that the slightest displeasure 
from a friend, and much more from a spouse or a 
child is always more keenly felt than even grievous 
offences from a stranger or an enemy ? Our Divine 
Redeemer, at the treason of Judas, appeared more 
displeased with the ingratitude of the traitor, than 
with the treason itself. By the mouth of His 
prophet He made this complaint, ''If my enemy 
had reviled me, I would verily have borne with it. 
And if he that hated me, had spoken great things 
against me : I would perhaps have hid myself from 
him. But thou, a man of one mind, my guide and 
my familiar." (Ps. LIV. 13.— 14.) Keflect here, 
how God has loved us, and how many benefits you 
received from Him : and we are so ungrateful as to 
displease Him frequently, when He has thus over- 
whelmed us with proofs of His love ! 

Notwithstanding all these considerations some 
will say that venial sin is certainly not a grievous 



VENIAL SIN. 89 

fault. True, when we compare it to mortal sin. 
Nevertheless, a person who deliberately and 
frequently commits venial sins, may be led on to 
the commission of mortal sins — not because of the 
number and frequency of his venial faults, but of 
the laxity from which they proceed, the scandal 
and danger which they may occasion. Because of 
the laxity from which they proceed: St. Anselm 
says, '^Every soul grows lukewarm by degrees, by 
passing slightly over and despising small faults," 
— Because of the scandal which they may occasion ; 
Others easily do what they see you do. Hence the 
saying of St. Bernard, ' 'Frivolous jokes are jokes 
in the mouths of seculars, but in the mouths 
of religious they are blasphemies. ' ' Because of the 
danger which may arise from them : St. Thomas 
teaches, ''Venial sin, of itself, predisposes to mortal 
sin." For, as St. Gregory says, ''IN'ever will a 
soul remain in the place where it falls, because he 
who falls once of his own accord, is driven lower 
by the sheer weight of his own iniquity ; so that 
falling once into the depths, he will constantly 
sink lower." 

If, then, venial sin be light as a crime, who will 
say that it is light as an evil ? And even should we 
suppose, what in reality is not the case, that venial 
sin is a slight thing in its criminal malice, we 
should reflect on the multitude of these faults 
committed from morning till night. St. Augustine 
says, ''If you fear not the weight, tremble at least 
for the number." If mortal sin is a thunderbolt 
which kills, so many venial sins are hailstones 
which ruin the vineyard of the soul. Mortal sin 



90 THIED DAY. 

is a tempestuous sea wMcli causes shipwreck, 
venial sins are like drops uniting together, and 
also causing shipwreck. The effect is the same at 
last, however different the cause. Whether this 
happens by a great sea which envelopes, or by 
many drops enclosed in the keel of the vessel, is of 
little matter when the ship sinks. Many venial 
sins dispose to mortal sin, and make the soul fall 
into it. 

The evils which venial sin brings to the soul are 
all great, and worthy of consideration. 

Consider, first, the stain it brings to the soul. 
If a stain of ink fall on a rich dress its value is so 
much lessened. A soul enriched with virtuous 
habits and supernatural gifts, with sanctifying 
grace, to be stained with a venial fault — is not 
this a serious evil ? 

Consider, secondly, although venial sin does not 
dispossess the soul of sanctifying grace, yet it 
prevents actual graces which Our Lord would be- 
stow were the soul faultless. Actual graces are 
certain illuminations to know what is good, certain 
efficacious inspirations to embrace it ; compunction, 
spiritual sweetness in prayer, alacrity to overcome 
reluctance in performing good works, great courage 
in resisting temptations. 

A father displeased with his son for frequently 
disobeying him, does not show him the same marks 
of affection as if he had been obedient : so God, 
indignant for the ungrateful meanness of a man 
who merely contents himself with not offending 
Him mortally, and nothing more, dei)rives him, in 
punishment of his unworthiness, of his most special 



VENIAL SIN. 91 

graces. Many lament and express surprise at not 
finding relish in prayer. They pray continually to 
God and to the saints, and are not heard. Why do 
they find themselves so weak and fragile at every 
temptation ? Because they are continually dis- 
pleasing God. How can they ever expect extra- 
ordinary graces, or that their petitions to heaven 
should be easily heard ! — How is it possible for 
them to stand firm at the assaults of temptation, 
when they are abandoned by heavenly assistance 
on account of their venial sins 1 — They live in the 
grace of God ; but they lead a life similar to con- 
sumptive persons, who are pale, languid and ema- 
ciated, in whom but little life remains. 

The greatest damage venial sin brings to the soul 
is, that it disposes to mortal sin. According to 
St. Thomas, this occurs in two ways : First, in- 
directly ; for God withdrawing the more powerful 
assistance of His grace, the soul remains weak, 
and easily falls into mortal sin. Secondly, directly : 
from the habit of committing slight faults, the soul 
is drawn by degrees into a great fault. And St. 
Thomas attests that venial sin differs from mortal 
sin as an imperfect thing in its kind differs from 
what is perfect — as a boy differs from a man. 

No one would have near him long a young lion, 
lest the growth of his teeth and nails might endanger 
life. So every one should remove far from him 
venial sin, lest, resembling a young wild beast, it 
might afterwards become great and dangerous. The 
curiosity of Eve degenerated into great disobedi- 
ence ; too much affection for money led Judas to 
the betrayal of his divine Master ; human respect 
caused Peter to deny Him. 



92 THIRD DAY. 

St. Augustine observes, that sinners multiplying 
venial sins dispose themselves to mortal sin, which 
draws them to perdition. A similitude is taken 
from ropes. A few threads twisted together form 
cords ; these little cords twisted together form those 
cables which turn windlasses and move ships. The 
process is from the less to the greater, from disease 
to death. Venial sin is a disease in which the 
intellect is obscured, the reason clouded, the will 
weakened, and the whole man inclined to laxity, 
remissness and sensuality. The passions acquire 
new strength by every fresh concession, while a 
general torpor and insensibility to all that is good 
binds down the whole man. Thus helpless, thus 
diseased, the hour of temptation comes upon him 
when, without a struggle, and without a shock, he 
falls into the death of mortal sin, from which there 
is every reason to fear he will never revive. Such 
is the fatal consequence of indulgiui: in the habit of 
venial sin — a mortal fall, followed by final impeni- 
tence here and by hell hereafter. 

Punishment is like a shadow which follows the 
fault. From the size of the shadow we measure 
the body ; so from the grievousness of the chastise- 
ments with which God jjunishes venial sin we may 
clearly conjecture what its malice is. God being 
infinitely just, He justly proportions His punish- 
ments ; being infinitely wise. He well knows what 
that i^roportion is ; being incapable of human weak- 
ness, He cannot punish more than He ought, through 
passion, or false apprehension, or from ill regulated 
motives, as sometimes occurs among men. 

Venial sins, for which just souls did not penance 



VENIAL SIN. 93^ 

in this life, are atoned for by the most severe pains 
of purgatory. If any one, while living, for a lie 
was to be thrown into a fiery furnace, what terror 
would it occasion 1 Yet he would feel but for a few 
moments the pain of fire, as he must soon die. 
What torment, then, for a soul in purgatory to be 
obliged to live for a long time in that fire, and in 
so active a fire, that in Scripture it is called spir- 
itual and the quintessence of fire. (Isai. lY. 4.) 
St. Augustine calls it '^a fire so tormenting, that it 
is the same as the fire of hell;'^ with the difference, 
that the fire for the damned is eternal, for the souls 
in purgatory it is not. It is immensely prolonged 
by the desire and hope of seeing God ; and receives 
additional intensity because a soul suffering there 
has no earthly objects to divert its attention. It is 
entirely turned to God, and has no desire but to 
enjoy Him. This desire ungratified, it lives in a 
most tormenting martyrdom. God would wish to 
have the soul with Him in heaven, but He is obliged 
to cleanse it by fire. For what ? — For venial sins ! 
Yet blind man dares call venial sins light and of 
little moment. O folly! The saints, enlightened 
by God, did not so esteem them. 

If there is question of any bodily ailment, however 
small, it is held in great account, as if it were a 
great evil. On the contrary, if mention is made of 
the evil of the soul, it is held for nothing. If a 
man have symptons of the slightest illness, physi- 
cians are immediately called in, medicines are taken, 
a rigorous diet is observec^. Should any one say, 
There is no danger, why then use so many remedies? 
the answer is, The evil is small, but it may become 



94 THIED DAY. 

dangerous if not speedily cured. — So much is said 
and done for the small evils of the body ; and what 
is said and done for the slight faults of the soul ? 
'^It is not a mortal sin. For this we are not con- 
demned to hell. It is a matter of little conse- 
quence." — O deplorable blindness! 

Add to these considerations the reflection that 
to us the way to heaven is not broader or more 
commodious than it was to those who have already 
arrived at that happy abode. By them venial sin 
was never deemed a slight evil. By them no care 
was thought superfluous for avoiding it, no aus- 
terity, no rigor too great for its punishment. And 
shall we say their notions were erroneous, the views 
which they took of their duty incorrect ? — If they 
so studiously avoided venial sin, it was because 
they well knew that a slight ailment is often the 
cause of a mortal disease, and that the consumption 
which slowly and imperceptibly wastes the frame 
is in the end more inevitably fatal than the fever 
that seems to threaten it with immediate dissolution. 
Follow their truly wise example. Think nothing 
little which is an offence against God, nothing to be 
despised that may conduct to perdition. Eomember 
that every action of your life, every word which 
you utter, and every thought which you conceive is 
instantly registered in the book of judgment ; that 
the day is not far distant when it will be again 
reproduced, either for the increase of your reward, 
or for the augmentation of your eternal misery; 
and that it is only by fidelity to your minor duties 
that you can hope to hear on that day the cheering 
sentence of approbation, ''Well done, good and 



PURITY OF INTENTION. 95 

faithful servant, because thou hast been faithful 
over a few things, I will place thee over many 
things, enter then into the Joy of thy Lord.'' 
(Matth. XXY. 23.) 

PEAYEE. 

My Lord and Saviour ! How have I been deceived 
and blinded, to esteem as nothing what was so 
grievous ! I have despised the great evil of venial 
sin solely because it was not the greatest evil, such 
as mortal sin. But now, humble and contrite, I 
wish to weep for these sins most bitterly, and with 
tearful eyes I beg pardon for them. Lord, be 
merciful to me a sinner! Enlighten me to know 
the evil I have done, and render me fervent, that I 
may displease Thee no longer. ^'Eestore unto me 
the joy of Thy salvation : and strengthen me with 
a perfect spirit. " (Ps. L. 14.) Amen. 



Spiritual Reading. 

XIY. 
Purity of Intention. 

"Whether you eat or drink, or 
whatsoever else you do, do all to 
the glorj' of God." — I. -Cor. X. 31. 

Practical sanctity consists in doing well and 
with a good intention what we have to do. Our 
daily duties form the works by which we are one 
day to be judged. As a fact, we are always doing- 
something or other. The hours of the day pass by, 
and each hour has its occupation. Even if it has 
been spent in idleness or in sin, it has had its run 



96 THIED DAY. 

and its result. Sometliing is done, and a great 
deal is done, perhaps, in the course of the day : 
but how, or for whom? — If all has been offered 
to God, as the Apostle directs, then a double result 
has followed : we have fulfilled the duties of our 
state, and have spent a day which will be rewarded 
hereafter. 

The habit of purity of intention will secure for 
us this double result. To practise it, we ought to 
ask ourselves regarding each day's work : First, 
Is there any act which God would not have me do? 
Secondlj', Do I omit any act which God would have 
me do i Thirdly, Do I perform each act in the 
manner as God would have me do it? — Examine 
these questions one by one, and see, how you can, 
without adding to your day's work, derive a rich 
result from your labors. 

First, Is there any act ^vhich God ivoidd not have 
medof — If there is, such an act is out of the influence 
oi a pious intention, inasmuch as what is forbidden 
by God cannot be offered to Him. 

Secondly', Do I omit any act uhich God ivoidd have 
me to do f — We have each day certain positive 
duties, duties corresponding to our state of life, 
which must be complied with, or else we are guilty 
of a sin of omission. 

Thirdly, Do I jierforin each act in the manner God 
ivotdd have me do it ? — Here is the real question of 
intention. The act is supposed to be performed ; 
the question is, how and in what spirit is it done ? 
This at once brings us to a principle which is en- 
forced in those treatises of Moral Theology which 
treat of human actions ; namely, that there is no 



PUKITY OF INTENTION. 97 

action wMch is really indifferent to him who per- 
forms it. What is meant by an indifferent action 
is one which in itself is not considered as either 
good or bad. In itself; because when in addition 
to the act we consider the person who performs it, 
and the end that prompts it, an element is intro- 
duced which must not be overlooked. For examxDle : 
If we, in our meals, indulge in sensuality, that which 
in itself was innocent, may bring injury to the 
soul. When the Psalmist prayed, ^'May the Lord 
keep thy coming in and thy going out" (Ps. 
CXX. 8.), he showed how such simple acts need 
the blessing of God. And when St. Paul bade us, 
''Whether you eat or drink, or whatsoever you do, 
do all to the glory of God (I. Cor. X. 31.), he 
affirms precisely the same. 

In every deliberate action which we perform, is 
present what may be called its body and its soul. 
The body, or outward j)art, is the act itself ; the 
soul, or inward part, is the deliberate end or in- 
tention for which it is done. If an act is not wrong 
in itself, but is indifferent, if it be offered to God, 
and be done in order to please Him, this soul and 
inward reality gives life and value to it. If, on the 
other hand, it be done through a wrong motive, 
God condemns it, and it will be imputed to us as 
sinful in a greater or less degree. Thus Our Lord 
condemned the prayers and alms-deeds of the 
Pharisees, because their motive was vanity. 

In order to help us to practise purity of intention, 
and to secure to all our actions the value which by 
this means may be attached to them, we should 
attend to this duty especially on two occasions. 



98 THIRD DAY. 

The first occasion is in the morning, declaring that 
we propose to do everything in accordance with 
God's will, to promote His honor and glory, and 
beg Him to keep us from all sin. The other 
occasion is at the beginning of every action of im- 
portance, or when about to do something of more 
than ordinary responsibility. Thei'/r^imnntention, 
as it is called when we do all our actions by virtue 
of the morning's offering, is good ; an actual in- 
tention, attached to each single action, is better. 
The frequent repetition of this actual intention will 
assist us towards that habitual good spirit, which 
animates the saints, who see God in every act, and 
make each single one have the nature and value of 
prayer. The care to have in all things a i^ure 
intention, certainly would advance us rapidly in the 
way of perfection. And yet this salutary practice 
is very much neglected. The reason is, because 
these obstacles stand in the way, namely, indo- 
lence, human respect and self-love. 

The first enemy is indolence. There is such an 
habitual carelessness and thoughtlessness on the 
part of many, that the idea of the ''one thing 
necessary" is by no meaus kept j^rominently in 
their minds ; and therefore it does not occur to 
them to direct every action towards the end for 
which God has made them, and for which they 
ought to be exerting themselves. Whatever im- 
plies an effort they avoid, and because the directing 
of each act towards God either by a general and 
virtual offering in the morning, or by occasional 
offerings during the day, seems to require exertion, 
it is omitted as a work of supererogation beyond 
what they care to attempt. 



PUEITY OF INTENTION. 99 

The second obstacle is human respect. This is a 
motive which substitutes the approval or the fear 
of man in place of the will and command of God. 
It is the fertile source of many positive sins ; it is 
also the cause why many actions, which might be 
sanctified if done for God and offered to Him, are 
deprived of all merit and reward. Our own ex- 
perience tells us of its influence, and it needs but 
to be mentioned to be reconized as an enemy to the 
purity of intention. Purity of intention and human 
respect are irreconcilable. 

The third obstacle, self-love, puts self in the 
place of God. It is well known to every observer 
of human nature, that some people know how to 
push self into everything, even the most holy, 
as well as the most abject. The pharisees are 
examples in Judaism, the cynics examples in phi- 
losophy. They spoiled everything by their self- 
seeking. 

It is the saying of a wise heathen, ^'He is to be 
called evil, who is good only for His own sake." 
And a man, who does evil that good may come of 
it, or good to an evil purpose, that man acts like 
him who rolls in thorns that he may sleep easily; 
he roasts himself in the fire that he may quench 
his thirst with his own perspiration ; he turns his 
face to the east that he may go to bed with the sun. 
No intention can sanctify an unholy or unlawful 
action. Saul, the king, disobeyed God's command- 
ment and spared the cattle of Amalech to reserve 
the best for sacrifice ; and Saul, the pharisee, per- 
secuted the Church of God with a design to do God 
SL service ; and they that killed the apostles had 



100 THIRD DAY. 

also good purposes, as they viewed it, but their 
actions were unlawful. When there is both good- 
ness in action and purity in intention ; when we go 
to God in ways of His own choosing or approving, 
then our eye is single, our hands are clean and our 
hearts are pure. 

To reduce these considerations to practice : 

1) In all our actions, let us seek the glory of 
God. ^ ^Whether you eat or drink, or whatever 
else you do, do all to the glory of God." (I. Cor. 
X. 31.) Practical sanctity consists in doing well 
and with a pure intention whatsoever we do. 

2) Let us be careful that we do not perform the 
action without the permission or warrant of God ; 
secondly, that we design it to the glory of God, if 
not in the direct action, at least in its consequence ; 
if not in particular, at least in the whole order of 
things and accidents ; thirdly, that it may be so 
blessed, that what we intend for innocent and holy 
purpOvSes, may not, by any chance, or abuse, or 
misunderstanding of men, be turned into evil, or 
made the occasion of sin. 

3) In prosecution of the action, renew and re- 
enkindle your purpose by short ejaculations : '^Not 
unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto Thy name 
let all glory be given!" And consider : Now I am 
doing the work of God ; I am His servant ; I am 
in a happy employment; I am doing my Master's 
business ; I am not at my own disposal ; I am 
using His talents, and all the gain must be His." 

4) Let not that which began well, and was in- 
tended for God's glory, decline and end in your 
own praise, or temporal satisfaction, or sin. 



PURITY OF INTENTION. 101 

5) If any temptation to spoil your purpose 
happens in a religious duty, do not omit the action, 
but rather strive to rectify your intention. St. 
Bernard taught us this rule. For when the devil, 
observing him to preach excellently, and to do 
much benefit to his hearers, tempted him to vain 
glory, hoping that the saint, to avoid that, would 
cease preaching, he simply answered, ''I neither 
began for thee, neither for thee will I make an 
end." 

6) In all actions which are of long continuance, 
let your holy and pious intention be actual, that 
is, let it, by a special prayer or action, by a 
peculiar act of resignation or oblation, be given to 
God. In smaller actions, in things little or in- 
different, fail not to have a pious habitual intention, 
that is, let it be included within your desire to do 
all for God's glory. 

But because cases may happen in which a man's 
heart may deceive him, and he may not well know 
his own spirit, consider, in conclusion, a few of 
the signs of purity of intention. 

1) It is likely our hearts are pure, and our in- 
tentions spotless, when we are not solicitous of the 
opinions and censures of men, but only that we do 
what we know to be our duty, and that it be ac- 
ceptable to God. If we desire that God should 
approve of us it is a sign that we do His work, and 
expect from Him our reward. 

2) He that does well in private, between God 
and his own soul, has given himself a good testi- 
mony that his purposes are full of honesty, noble- 
ness and integrity. 



102 THIRD DAY. 

3) It is well, also, when we are not solicitous or 
troubled concerning the results of our actions. 
After having offered them to God by prayer, let 
Him dispose of them. 

4) He loves virtue for God's sake and its own^ 
who loves and honors it wherever it is to be seen; 
but he that is envious or angry at virtue that is 
not his own, at the perfection or excellence of his 
neighbor, is not covetous of virtue, but of its re- 
ward and reputation, and his intention is polluted. 
He that desires only that the work of God and 
religion go on, is loleased with it, whosoever be the 
instrument. 

5) When we are not solicitous concerning the 
instruments and means of our actions, but use 
those means which God has laid before us with 
resignation, indifference and thankfulness, it is a 
good sign that we are rather intent upon God's 
glory than our own convenience and satisfaction. 

In a word, we have a pure intention, if we can 
truly say from our heart, ''All for the greater glory 
of God!" 

Implore Him, that no pride or self-seeking, no 
impure motives pollute your spirit and defile your 
words and actions ; but that he make your body 
and spirit His servants, that doing all things for 
His glory here, you may be made its partaker 
hereafter. 

Afternoon Conference. 

XV. 

On TemptatioDS. 

It will be well for us to understand something 

regarding the nature of temptation, in order that 



ON TEMPTATIONS. 103 

we be the better on our guard against these in- 
centives to evil, which have proved so fatal to the 
virtue of many, and, perhaps often to our own. 

Temptation, in the sense in which we will con- 
sider it, means an allurement to sin ; it is a 
suggestion of what is evil, and a drawing of the 
will, or an attempt to draw the will to consent to 
that evil. 

There are three stages in temptation : First, the 
suggestion of the evil; secondly, delight in the 
object suggested, and thirdly, consent. 

The first stage of temptation is suggestion. It is 
the act in which something forbidden is lolaced be- 
fore us. This does not necessarily imply anything 
sinful on our part, as it may be without any wish 
of ours that some tempting power thus tries to 
allure us away from our duty. Suggestions to evil 
are frequent enough in our course through life. 
They may have their source outwardly in the 
words, the vain objects, the sinful persons, the 
scandalous example which may present themselves 
before us any moment. Or they may have their 
source from within, in some of those imaginations, 
thoughts, disorderly affections which, however 
unwilling we are to give them encouragement, 
may arise and strive to create pleasure and gain 
consent. 

The second stage in temptation is pleasure and 
delight in the object presented. We are so weak 
by nature and so prone to evil, that we are easily 
affected by a sinful object when it is presented be- 
fore us. Hence the necessity of resisting at once 
when the suggestion is made, lest we be influenced 



104 THEID DAY. 

by it. It is at this stage of temptation that vigor, 
promptitude and an unhesitating turning away of 
the soul from the sinful or dangerous object are 
demanded. The pleasure and delight may be either 
material or formal. It is material, when it affects 
us externally, tells upon our senses or imagination 
almost in spite of ourselves, but yet has not begun 
to gain the assent of our mind. But when the mind 
deliberately takes pleasure and knowingly follows 
in a forbidden direction, there is formal delight, 
the commencement of sin, and a greatness of sin in 
proportion to the deliberateness. 

The last stage of temjDtation is consent. This 
implies the exercise of our will, by which, when 
we know that an act is sinful, we do the act either 
in reality or desire. We give ourselves up to the 
power which is alluring us, and knowingly yield 
to its influence. The heart is the seat of the will, 
and the fact of giving free and willing consent 
to an object which is opposed to God is giving our 
will to sin. 

One very important and essential duty with re- 
gard to temptation is avoiding tlie occasion of sin. 
By an occasion of sin is meant some external cir- 
cumstance in which an allurement to sin is likely 
to arise. Evil company, for instance, is an occa- 
sion of sin, for it is proverbial how much we are 
likely to be influenced in our character and conduct 
by those with whom we associate. Places, in which 
we have reason to believe that danger may arise to 
our virtue, are occasions. Beading of an immoral 
or infidel tendency is an occasion, and one with 
regard to which in these days of facility and en- 



ox TEMPTATIONS. 105 

couragement for reading, we must be specially 
cautious. For in all these there is found an allure- 
ment to sin. Evil is suggested : the suggestion 
may be entertained and delighted in ; consent may 
follow, and thus occasions of sin may lead to the 
completion of the three stages of temptation and to 
deliberate sin. Hence arises the necessity of avoid- 
ing the occasions of sin. 

As an occasion implies some external circum- 
stance which may lead to the commission of sin, 
it follows that those occasions are most to be 
avoided, in which sin is most likely to be com- 
mitted. Some occasions are immediately connected 
with sin, others more remotely. The former, which 
are called proximate occasions, are those circum- 
stances in which there is every likelihood that sin 
will follow ; the latter, which are called remote 
occasions, are those in which sin more i)robably 
may not be committed; Going into bad company, 
in which sin again and again has been committed 
by any person, is to such a person an immediate 
and proximate occasion. The sin is sure to be 
suggested ; the company itself is a suggestion. 
Most probably pleasure aud delectation will ensue, 
and with equal probability consent will be the 
consequence. As the occasion, therefore, leads to 
sin, it must be avoided ; and it is in itself sinful to 
expose oneself willingly to such a danger. 

It is quite intelligible that what is a proximate 
occasion to one person, may be a very remote 
occasion, or no occasion whatever, to another. 
Each one's experience and conscience will easily 
and instinctively tell him what is to him an 



106 THIED DAY. 

occasion of sin ; and as natural instinct will caution 
us against touching fire because it will burn us, so 
hatred and fear of sin will caution us against every 
circumstance which will spiritually injure us or 
lead us into danger. 

Our own weakness, and the power and persis- 
tency of our three spiritual enemies, the devil, the 
world, and the flesh, combine in dictating that 
prudent avoidance of occasions of sin which is cer- 
tainly the best evidence of Christian valor. To 
expose ourselves unnecessarily to danger is never 
a sign of courage, but is a proof of rashness and 
folly. AVould you drink poison, being willing to 
run the risk of escaping without harm ? Or would 
you take up your abode in a plague-stricken city, 
in which hundreds are dying every day, if stern 
necessity or duty did not compel you, and think 
that you could keep well and happy in the midst 
of the desolation around you f Whoever would do 
such tilings as these might he notable for other 
qualities, but discretion would not be a feature in 
his charact-er. It is true that the grace of God is 
powerful enough to enable us to conquer any temp- 
tation, but it does not attend upon those who 
expose themselves heedlessly to danger. The 
occasion leads to suggestion, the suggestion to 
delectation, delectation to consent, consent to 
actual commission. Acts lead to habit, habit to 
obstinacy, obstinacy produces a kind of feeling of 
necessity of sinning and impossibility of helping 
it ; then comes final impenitence, despair, death 
in a state of mortal sin, and the eternal perdition 
of the soul. All this, because occasions are not 
avoided. 



ON TEMPTATIONS. 107 

What, then, is our duty with regard to temp- 
tation 1 We must be on our guard ; we must fly 
from an occasion, which, though not sought, may 
happen to arise. We must pray, and thus bring 
God to our help, and His holy angels to shield us. 
We must frequent the sacraments ; for these are 
channels of grace, they diminish the force of con- 
cupiscence, increase our union with God and 
therefore our separation from sin. The practice of 
acts of self-denial is a great help towards conquer- 
ing in the time of temptation ; for such acts prove 
that we are in earnest : they enable us to subjugate 
nature, and thus weaken one fertile source of 
temptation. And one most important matter to 
attend to is prompt resistance at the begimiing. The 
moment any suggestion of evil arises it ought to be 
at once crushed : there should be no dallying with 
what we ought to fear and hate. 

The recollection of the presence of God, of the 
great truths of salvation, of the horrible deformity 
of sin, will always serve as a secure defence. Such 
thoughts will enable us to live in a closer union 
with God, and in the time of trial we shall be less 
likely to be affected by the low and unworthy 
feelings of corrupt nature. 

We are not alone in the struggle, God and His 
angels are standing by and on our side. Eemember, 
therefore, the words of Holy Scripture, ^'Blessed 
is the man that endureth temptation : for when he 
hath been proved, he shall receive the crown of 
life, which God hath promised to them that love 
Him." (James, I. 12.) 



108 THIRD DAY. 

Evening Meditation. 
XYI. 
/ On Judgment. 

"The searcher of hearts and reins 
is God." — Ps. VII. 10. 

The Apostle reminds us, ^^Itis appointed unto men 
once to die, and after this the judgment." (Hebr. 
IX. 27.) Death, then, is immediately followed by 
the judgment of God ; that is, in the same moment 
when our soul shall leave our body, it will appear 
before Him to be judged. It is true, there will be 
a general judgment at the end of this world, at 
which we all must appear to receive our final 
sentence ; but before this day arrives at the con- 
summation of time, there is, according to Scripture, 
a special judgment at which all men must appear, 
and which takes place secretly between God and 
the soul. 

It is not necessary for the soul to undertake a 
long journey to appear before God. Wherever a 
person may die, God will be present to execute 
supreme justice, for He is everywhere, and mani- 
fests His power and might in all places. Wherever 
we may be, as soon as we yielded our spirit and 
ceased to live, we shall be surrounded, so to speak, 
by the majesty of God. We shall perceive His 
presence and experience the truth of the words, ''I 
have feared God as waves swelling over me, and 
His weight I was not able to bear. ' ' (Job XXXI. 23. ) 
Thus God will, in a manner, penetrate us and 
surround us, without being in need of any one to 
hold us captive. 



ON JUDGMENT. 109 

What shall we do ? How shall we endeavor to 
help ourselves *? In vain shall we try to escape the 
Lord. He will hold us in His hands, and whoso- 
ever falls into the hands of the living God cannot 
escape. In vain shall we call on the assistance of 
our fellow men : there will be no one to whom we 
could have recourse, because we shall be alone with 
God. And even if it were possible for us to call 
every creature to our assistance : what could they 
prevail against their Creator and ours? Our friends, 
and charitably disposed persons, will perhaps assist 
us with their prayers ; but will these prayers save 
our souls if God does not hear them ? And will He 
hear them if they are not assisted by our own 
merits, by the holiness of our lives 1 

We are, then, at that awful moment, alone with 
God ; with God, on Whom depends our fate for all 
eternity, and Who is about to decree it ; alone with 
God, with nothing and nobody to assist us but our 
good works. And if these be wanting — how shall 
we fare ? — Oh , how we shall then learn to esteem 
a pious and holy life ! How shall we then learn to 
appreciate our vocation, if we have cherished it 
and fulfilled its duties ! With what confidence shall 
we be inspired if we have strictly observed mortifi- 
cation of the senses, detachment from the world, 
constancy in prayer, fidelity in small things, in the 
fulfillment of all our duties I How grateful shall we 
be that we did ourselves violence in order to over- 
come the natural inclinations; that we neither 
followed certain examples, nor took heed of certain 
regards which might have caused us to become 
negligent in the performance of our duties. This 



110 THIRD DAY. 

consideration, and the recollection of the past, will 
compose our whole strength, and prevent us from 
fearing a judgment where we are alone to defend 
ourselves. 

But on the contrary, if there is nothing in our 
lives on which to rely ; if we see ourselves in the 
power of a God Who is about to judge us according 
to the manner in which we have spent our years, 
which show nothing but tepidity, negligence, trans- 
gressions of the law, an awful emptiness, and a 
fruitless, if not a cul^iable, uselessness : how dis- 
consolate, how* full of anguish shall we then be ! 
^'They shall come with fear at the thought of their 
sins, and their iniquities shall stand against them 
to convict them." (Wisd. IV. 20.) We shall not 
be permitted to return to life to make a better use 
of it : must we, then, not tremble and fear to apj)ear 
before God and His judgment in order to render an 
account of our sadly misspent life ? — Why did we 
not make a l)etter use of our time and opportunities'? 

I^ow we have still the time and means ; perhaps 
in a short time we shall have both no longer. Let 
us, then, profit by them, and avoid an impending 
danger sufficiently great to warrant every possible 
vigilance and foresight to ward it off. 

In human tribunals the trial must be regularly 
instituted, and the judge issues his decree only 
after having examined and well weighed in his 
mind all the facts, so that he may not be misled. 
The defendant is questioned, confronted with the 
witnesses, and sentenced only after the evidence 
has been established beyond doubt. 

God will proceed in the same manner with us. 



ON JUDGMENT. Ill 

'We shall be subjected to a most minute and com- 
prehensive, but withal to a most expeditious and 
convicting examination. From the dawn of reason 
to the close of a life no matter how long, there will 
be no thought, no desire, no word, no action, no 
omission of duty, which w ill not be included in the 
examination. And as circumstances usually either 
increase or diminish the sinfulness of an act, there- 
fore neither a thought, nor an intention, nor a 
disposition, in a word nothing, will be too trifling 
to escape scrutiny. The eye of God will detect the 
least flaw; and, as He does not detract anything 
from the merits of our works, thus He will also 
take notice of everything that depreciates their 
value, or mars their sanctity. 

Our examination will be instantaneous. At 
present an examination of ourselves causes us in- 
finite trouble, and is, nevertheless, insufficient, 
because we are unable to remember our whole life. 
It is imjiossible for us to remember what we did, 
spoke and thought during a single day, because 
there are so many things to which we do not pay 
attention, and which we forget. But between God 
and the soul it will not be thus. After departing 
from the body, the soul will be enabled to compre- 
hend in a glance its whole life, and God, Who from 
the first moment of our being never lost sight of us, 
and is not subject to forgetfulness, needs neither 
time nor space to recall our whole deportment and 
to place it vividly before us. With a single ray of 
His supernatural light He will illuminate the most 
hidden things, and uniting them as in a focus. He 
will so distinctly place every single one of them 



112 THIRD DAY. 

before our eyes, as if it were the only one we were 
to contemplate. Therefore we will see them all at 
once and at the same time, and our souls will view 
them despite of their multiplicity at one glance, 
because we are no longer impeded by material 
things, and are able to act with undivided force. 

Hence, also, the examination will be decisive 
and convicting. It will not be founded on deduc- 
tion and inference, but will consist of the simple 
statement of facts. Thus there will be no possi- 
bility of a dispute with God, or of concealing 
anything from Him. How many things we no 
longer remember will then stand vividly before our 
eyes? How many sins to which we paid no atten- 
tion, thinking them trifling, shall we then find! 
How many delusions, excuses and pretended justi- 
fications shall we then acknowledge to have been 
fraudulent! How many difficulties and questions 
which we have solved to our own advantage will 
then cause our reprobation! How many virtues 
which we paraded before our fellow beings will 
then lose their lustre, and appear as self-love, 
vanity, custom, sensual affection, politeness, and 
perhaps even hypocrisy and dissimulation ! 

What excuse shall we then advance! Our con- 
science will denounce every attempt thereat; it 
will take God's part against us, and compel us to 
make the short but terrible confession, ^^I have 
sinned!" \Yhy not admit it now and at once? Why 
not confess it sorrowfully before God now, when it 
is still to our advantage, so that we be not compelled 
to do so despairingly before His tribunal 1 Why do 
we not listen to the reproaches of our own consci- 



ON JUDGMENT. 113 

ence, and try to quiet it, admonished as we are by 
Jesus Christ to be at agreement with our adversary 
whilst we are on the way with him, lest, perhaps, 
the adversary deliver us to the judge ? (Matth. Y. 
25. ) If we respond to the promptings of conscience 
it will be our advocate before God. It will present 
to Him our sincere conversion, our penance, our 
good resolutions and their happy results. It will 
efface everything damaging to us from the pages of 
the Book of Divine Justice, and obtain full pardon 
for us. 

The judgment will be severe in proportion to the 
graces received. ' 'Unto whomsoever much is given, 
of him much shall be required," saj^s Our Lord 
Himself. (Luke XII. 48.) These truths caused 
even St. Jerome to tremble with fear. And many 
of the holy i)enitents trembled at the thought of 
judgment : 

"How shall I that day endure ? 
What kind patron's voice secure, 
When the righteous scarce are sure ?" 

After the scrutiny of all our deeds shall have 
been finished, the Supreme Judge will pass sentence. 
It is a sentence of extreme hapi)iness or extreme 
torment ; there is no medium. Human tribunals 
frequently award sentences without entii*ely deciding 
in favor of one i^arty to the total ruin of the other; 
and by half measures succeed in partially pleasing 
both parties. In the judgment of God the decree 
is to be passed either for heaven or hell, without 
alternative. How terrible! 

Although this will not be a public sentence like 
the one at the general judgment, it will nevertheless, 
be irrevocable. For God will never alter what He 

8 



114 THIED DAY. 

decreed for our perpetual uuhapplness or for our 
eternal bliss. Froui thenceforward we shall no 
longer be either in a way to lose or to regain His 
grace: we have arrived at the limit of sin and 
merit. How" important, then, that the sentence be 
favorable! — Awful thought! How could we so 
often forget it I To increase its effect we need but 
imagine ourselves standing before the tribunal of 
divine Justice, and hear in the spirit the terrible 
words pronounced against us, ^ 'Depart, ye cursed ! ' ' 
(Matth. XXY. 41.) What a thunderbolt! We 
must depart from God ; we are to be excluded from 
His presence for all eternity ! God has cursed us, 
and we are not able to induce Him to recall His 
curse, and have not the least hope to regain His 
favor ! Has he for this i)urpose given us so many 
graces, so many means of sanctification ? — And 
now He withdraws all the graces which He so 
al^undantly offered, and places us among the 
damned! He intended to raise us to the highest 
places of His kingdom, and now He thrusts us into 
the deepest abyss ! 

Let this consideration influence our lives, and 
thus prevent its occurrence, by following the whole- 
some inspirations which it causes, and happy shall 
we be if we begin a new life, and prevent this 
possibility from becoming a reality. By the renewal 
and change of our life we may obtain the sentence 
of bliss and salvation reserved for i)ious souls. 
How happy shall we be to hear from the lips of our 
Supreme Judge the consoling invitation: ''Well 
done, good and faithful servant ; because thou hast 
been faithful over few things, I will place thee over 



ON JUDGMENT. 115 

many: enter thou into the joy of thy Lord." 
(Matth. XXY. 21.) 

Once in possession of this pure and heavenly 
joy, we shall understand how little God asked of 
us in this world, and that everything we did or 
suffered for His sake is nothing in comparison to 
the glory for which He destines us. Could we 
then be sorry for anything, it would be that we were 
so remiss in our fervor, and did not exert ourselves 
to a greater degree. Can we, in reality, do too 
much for a God, Who in His judgment is just as 
liberal and noble in the reward of fidelity, as He is 
strict and inexorable in the punishment of negli- 
gence and sloth ? 

If, therefore, upon a review of our lives, we find 
reason to tremble for the result of a trial so severe, 
let us weigh and examine our actions now by its 
decisions : if we fear judgment, let us fear that by 
which it is terrible. Thus we shall learn duly to 
appreciate in time that which alone can render us 
happy in eternity. 

PRAYER. 

Great God ! At Whose glance heaven and earth 
tremble : how shall we appear in Thy presence 
after having so frequently offended Thee I When we 
reflect on the years of our past life, we find nothing 
but Ingratitude and innumerable vices. How, then, 
shall we render an account of ourselves 1 Humble 
and contrite, we cast ourselves at Thy feet. Efface, 
we beseech Thee, through Thy Most Precious Blood, 
the stains of our sins. Judge us now, and absolve 
us, so that weighed by the standard of Thy cross, 
we need not fear for our failings before Thy terrible 
tribunal after death. Amen. 



116 THIRD DAY. 

Points of Meditation for next Morning. 

XYII. 
Keeapitiilation. 

"Evil men think not on judgment." 
— Prov. XXI. 5. 

1. After death, judgment. — Tlie justice of God 
demands that there be a judgment, when He ''will 
render to every man, according to his works/' 
(Ps. LXI. 13.) As soon as the sentence shall 
have been passed, the just will receive eternal 
reward, and the reprobate eternal punishment. — 
''O Lord, be merciful to me, a sinner!" — ' 'Pierce 
Thou my flesh with Thy fear, for I am afraid of Thy 
judgments." (Ps. CXYIII. 120.) 

2. What will my sentence be f — In any case, one 
for eternity. — What is eternity! — As far as it 
concerns me, an endless term, which cannot be 
measured by human standard ; an immutable exist- 
ence, which can be changed by nothing. An endless 
term! Add to it whatever you can imagine, you 
will thereby not augment its duration ; subtract 
from it whatever periods of time you can conceive, 
you will thereby not abbreviate it. — Ever! Never! 
These two words best descril^e eternity, and they 
icill he my sentence. 

3 . E cer ! — Ne ver ! — Where f — At j udgmen t this 
question is irrevocal)ly answered. Ever — never — 
in heaven, or ever — never — in hell! — Ever in 
torment! Xever more in probation, danger, trial 
and suffering ; — never in the beatific presence of 
God! — Which will be my sentence? — I do not 
know ! But this I know, that it needs only a sudden 
cessation of the vital functions of my body, and I 
shall stand before my Judge. — ' 'Have mercy on me, 
O God, according to Thy great mercy! " (Ps. L. 3.) 



117 



Fourth Day. 

Meditation during the Forenoon. 

XYIII. 
On Confession. 

"He that hideth his sins shall not 
prosper ; but he that shall confess, 
and forsake them, shall obtain 
mercy." — Prov. XXVIII. 13. 

Sacramental confession in the sacred tribunal of 
penance is a divine institution and positive in- 
junction of Jesus Christ; for unless the faithful 
were positively enjoined to i)erform this humili- 
ating and painful duty, the pastors of the Church 
coald not possibly execute the commission en- 
trusted to them to forgive and retain sins ; they 
could not come to a knowledge of the cause on 
which they are to decide, nor to pronounce judg- 
ment and just sentence, nor to prescribe suitable 
remedies and preservatives against sin, nor to give 
the necessary and proper advice to sinners, unless 
they were to be acquainted previously with the 
true state of their conscience by their confession. 

The same law that obliges us to confess our sins, 
obliges us also to examine our conscience, to take 
a serious view of our soul, and to use a moral 
diligence in discovering what sins we are guilty of 
in thought, word, deed or omission. In an affair 
of such consequence it is necessary to proceed with 
deliberate attention, and with as much circum- 
spection and comi)OSure of mind as reason and 
prudence require that a person should proceed with 
in other matters of great importance. It is not 



118 POUETH DAY. 

sufficient to take a superficial and cursory view of 
the outward, gross and palpable sins which are 
observable to every eye ; but the inward spiritual 
sins, which pride and self-love, human respect and 
personal interest are most solicitous to hide and 
keep undiscovered, should be closely inspected, 
because they are often more dangerous and inflict 
deeper wounds than the notorious and scandalous 
sins which are openly committed. The secret re- 
cesses and folds of the heart must be closely looked 
into and searched, and the wounds of the soul 
must be probed to the bottom, in order to dislodge 
the corruption and venom that lurk within. The 
principles and motives upon which a person has 
acted must be carefully weighed, and an impartial 
inquiry is to be made into our thoughts and desires, 
intentions and inclinations, evil habits and custom- 
ary failings, darling passions and favorite vices. 

Unless a diligent self-examination of this kind 
be made, we will always remain a mystery to our- 
selves and strangers to the real state of our souls. 
Quick-sighted enough to observe the failings of 
others, we are ai)t to be blind to our own faults ; 
or as Holy Scripture expresses it, we discern the 
mote in the eye of our neighor, but do not perceive 
the beam in our own eye. This interior blindness 
must be removed and remedied by diligent self- 
examination, and by humbly and fervently be- 
seeching the Holy Ghost to open our eyes, to 
remove the evil that hides us from ourselves. 

We should allow ourselves sufficient time to dive 
into the secrets of our conscience, and to consider 
what places, what persons, what companies we 



ON COXFESSIOX. 119 

have f recjuented 3 in what conver£ati<^QS, actions 
and occupations we have passed the time ; in„wh,at 
])aj:ticiijaj:s we have deviated from rectitud e ; ip^ 
what manner we have discharged the duties which 
we owe to God, to our neighbor and to our selves , 
that we may be able to lay all our sins at the feet 
of J esus Christ , with the number, as near as can 
be recollected, and the circumstances which alter 
the nature of the sinj_or notably aggravate the 
guilt. There is reason to apprehend that many 
confessions are defective in this regard, and per- 
haps null and void, for want of a diligent self- 
examination. How many seem at a loss even for 
sufficient matter for sacramental absolution at the 
very time when, if they did but take the trouble of 
making a close examination of the true state of 
their souls, they would discover themselves to be 
in a very alarming condition. 

To pass over in silence many other defects and 
abuses which should be carefully avoided in the 
sacred tribunal, some, instead of accusing them- 
selves with candor, sincerity and humility, en- 
deavor to extenuate their sins with studied excuses 
and artful palliations. Others confess their sins 
by accusing their neighbor and throwing the fault 
on others, and inventing excuses for themselves. 
Study carefully to avoid these and similar faults ; 
in short, remember the lesson of the catechism : 
Confession must be humble, sincere, plain, true, 
faithful, entire and accompanied with an inward 
grief of the heart, hatred of sin and a firm purpose 
of amendment, this being the very soul and essence 
of repentance. 



120 FOURTH DAY. 

Contrition, or an inward sorrow, is so essential a 
part of the sacrament of Penance, that the most 
complete confession will not purify the soul if it be 
wanting. It is to be dreaded that many persons 
deceive themselves in this point, and approach the 
sacred tribunal without that true sorrow of heart 
which is absolutely essential to repentance. They 
persuade themselves that they are penitent, provided 
they i^erform certain exterior exercises of penance, 
recite some devout forms of prayer, without working 
any real conversion or change of their hearts. 
How often, alas, are the feelings of nature, the 
workings of pride and self-love, the agitations of a 
false shame and confusion, the anxiety and trouble 
that j)roceed from mere human respect and servile 
fear mistaken for the substance and essence of a 
true repentance I 

The contrition that qualifies the repentant sinner 
for the remission of his sins is an emotion excited 
by grace and proceeding from the operation of the 
Holy Ghost. It is interior and sirpcrnatKral. It is 
grounded on motives of faith and religion. It 
springs from the love of God, which alone is able 
to banish the love of sin from the heart. It is uni- 
versal, that is, it extends itself without exception 
to every mortal sin a person is guilty of. It is also 
supreme and sovereign ; that is, it is in reality greater 
than and above all sorrows ; for as sin is the 
greatest of all evils, it must be hated and abhorred 
more than any other evil. 

True contrition moreover includes a firm pur- 
pose of amendment, with a will and desire to 
satisfy God's justice by leading a new life and 



ON CONFESSION. 121 

bringing forth worthy fruits of penance. By a firm 
purpose of amendment is meant a fixed resolution, 
a full determination of the will never more to offend 
God by mortal sin, but to atone for the past offen- 
ces, to repair the injuries done others in their 
property or character, and to shun the places, the 
occasions and objects of sin, with all other danger- 
ous circumstances leading thereto. 

This, then, the nature and qualities of that con- 
trition with which your confession ought to be 
accompanied, and which we should use our utmost 
endeavor to procure by sending up for this end our 
humble and fervent prayers to God. For in vain 
do we approach the tribunal of confession, in vain 
do we candidly acknowledge our sins, in vain does 
the minister of God pronounce absolution unless 
we are disposed to receive it by heartfelt sorrow. 

Another essential i)art of confession is Satisfaction, 
by which we mean that reparation which the sinner 
is bound to make for his offences committed against 
God, and for the wrong he has done to his neighbor. 
— We are under the strictest obligations to satisfy 
an offended God, and although the guilt and eternal 
punishment of sin is remitted by absolution, yet 
there is still remaining a temi)oral satisfaction to 
be made either in this or in the next life. Hence, 
according to the Council of Trent, confessors are 
bound ''to enjoin salutary and suitable penances, 
according to the magnitude of the sin, and the 
circumstances of the penitent, for fear that by 
treating sinners with too great leniency, and im- 
posing on them slight penances for great sins, they 
may be held accountable for the sins of others." 



122 FOURTH DAY. 

(Sess. XIY.) — If, however, the slight penance 
that your confessor gives you appears too great, 
remember that God is just, that you will suffer far 
greater pains in the next life, and that with a 
different and easier penance you would soon fall 
back into your former sins. Should you, however, 
have a valid excuse, or should there exist an 
impossibility preventing you from performing the 
penance imposed, you must state the reasons to 
your confessor, and ask to have it changed. — As 
to the satisfaction due to our neighbor, it is obvious 
from the nature of the sacrament of Penance, that 
we must be willing to make restitution, if we have 
wronged him in his goods of fortune or in his good 
name. 

For many Christians, if they are really desirous 
of a sincere and thorough conversion, it is necessary 
to make a (jvncral confession; and to others it is 
highly important, in order to lay the foundation of 
a pious Christian life. 

A general confession is one in which the penitent 
reviews the confessions of his past life ; accusing 
himself sincerely and with a contrite heart of all 
the sins which he has committed, either from his 
youth up, or since his first mortal sin, or since the 
time when he first made a bad confession, or one 
which he has good reason to fear was bad. St. 
Francis de Sales, that great saint and most amiable 
master in the spiritual life, says, *^that for the 
greatest part of men a general confession is neces- 
sary to secure the soul's salvation. A general 
confession gives us a more complete knowledge of 
ourselves ; it fills us with a salutary shame at the 



ON CONFESSION. 123 

sight of our sins ; it relieves the mind of much 
anxiety, and gives the conscience true peace; it 
excites in us good resolutions ; it shows us how 
wonderful is the mercy of God, which has waited 
for us with great patience ; it enables our confessor 
to give us more suitable directions ; it opens the 
heart, so that in future we are able to make our 
confessions with more confidence.'^ 

The great advantage of a general confession is to 
be seen at the hour of death. Who would not 
wish, when at the point of appearing before the 
tribunal of God — at that dreadful moment which 
is to decide his fate for all eternity — who would 
not wish then, that he had faithfully and penitently 
made a general confession of his whole life? What 
a consolation for a dying Christian if, before sick- 
ness attacked him, he had thus already put in 
order the affairs of his soul ? How can any one allow 
himself to approach that last moment, remaining 
still careless for the salvation of his soul ? How 
awful for him, then first to open his eyes upon his 
whole past life when he is about to close them 
forever! Our Saviour says, '^ Watch- ye, therefore, 
because you know not the day nor the hour.'' 
(Matth. XXY. 13.) ^'Blessed are those servants, 
whom the Lord when He cometh shall find watch- 
ing." (Luke XII. 37.) 

If, then. Christian soul, you see that it would 
be useful for you to make a general confession, do 
not delay, but set about it with promptitude and 
courage. But if this general confession is not 
only useful, but even necessary, let no obstacles 
deter you from making it sincerely and con- 



124 FOURTH DAY. 

tritely according to your best ability. And if 
human weakness shrink at the seeming difficulty of 
a good confession, remember the mercy of God. He 
came not to call the just, but the sinners to re- 
pentance. If, like the prodigal son, we say in our 
heart, ''I will rise and go to my Father," He will 
behold us when we are yet afar off ; He will come 
to meet us. He will embrace us and give us the 
kiss of peace. A momentary confusion, a short 
humiliation before the minister of God, who holds 
the place of Jesus Christ ; will deliver us from the 
stings of remorse, which will be succeeded by 
interior peace and consolation. And in heaven — 
'^there shall be joy upon one sinner that doth pen- 
ance, more than upon ninety-nine just who need 
not penance." (Luke XV. 7.) 

PRAYER. 
O Lord Jeaus! Give me grace, I beseech Thee, 
to approach Thy sacred tribunal with the necessary 
dispositions, and to partake of the wonderful effects 
of Thy infinite bounty. I bless and praise Thy 
holy name for having spared me so long, and for 
giving me time to repent, instead of casting me off 
in the midst of my sins, as I deserved. By the 
same mercy I implore Thee to grant me a true and 
sincere contrition, that I may deplore my past sins 
in the bitterness of my soul, and that tears of 
compunction may flow from mj' eyes and wash away 
my iniquities. In Thee I place all my confidence, 
and through Thy merits I hope to be ranked on 
the last day in the happy number of those who are 
to be united with Thee for all eternity. Amen. 



YIGILANCE. 125 

Spiritual Reading. 

XIX. 

Vigilance. 

Of all the evils we inherit from nature, our weak- 
ness is the greatest. It is so great, that we sleep 
over the dangers that surround us. This miserable 
condition of our nature made St. Paul exclaim, ^'I 
see another law in my members, fighting against 
the law of my mind, and captivating me in the law 
of sin." (Eom. YII. 23.) Xo man is free from 
this inclination to evil. Mortification and a constant 
watchfulness may indeed subdue, but will not 
eradicate it. 

This is our situation. It made Job call '^the life 
of man upon earth a warfare" (Job YII. 1.), a 
war the more doubtful, because carried on against 
mighty invisible enemies ; the more laborious, be- 
cause every victory we gain is a conquest made by 
and against ourselves ; a war wherein we may 
conquer to-day and be conquered to-morrow. Hence 
we are cautioned by the Apostle ''to work our 
salvation with fear and trembling" (Philip. II. 12.), 
or, in the words of our Divine Eedeemer Himself, 
to *^watch and pray, that we enter not into temp- 
tation." (Matth. XXYI. 41.) 

The obligation of vigilance is of a two-fold 
nature; first, to resist and conquer the dangers 
that are inseparable from our state of life ; and 
secondly, to guard against those dangers that are 
not connected with our duty. The Holy Ghost 
warns us not to expose ourselves to any danger but 
what arises from our duty, ''He that loveth danger 



126 FOURTH DAY. 

shall perish in it." (Eccli. III. 27.) Now it is 
loving danger, to seek it or allow ourselves to be 
drawn into it without necessity or reason, merely 
to gratify a vain curiosity, oblige a friend or to 
follow the customs of the world. What follows ? 
The loss of God's grace here, and of the soul here- 
after. For without God's grace we cannot escape 
the dangers that surround us everywhere. "With- 
out me you can do nothing" (John XV. 5.), says 
Our Lord, and this grace He has not promised to 
presumi^tuousness or rashness. He grants it only 
for His own glory, or for the good of our souls. 
When men rush headlong into danger, without any 
defense but their own weakness, dismal indeed are 
the effects that follow. Therefore be circumspect ; 
foresee danger and avoid it. Almighty God will not 
preserve the rash man, or the sinner, from burning 
amid flames. It is not in our power to avoid all 
dangers, because some necessarily spring from the 
constitution of our nature ; the evil example, the 
very show and figure of the world daily solicit us 
to sin. God permits this, not to bring about, or to 
be instrumental to our ruin, but, as St. Chrysostom 
observes, to try our faith, to exercise our virtue 
and to increase our merit. 

Seeing, then, that we must encounter danger, 
how are we to act ? — To submit through fear ? 
No ! — To yield wheu attacked 1 No : but to en- 
counter, to resist, to surmount. — How ? By the 
grace of God, for "God is faithful. Who will not 
suffer you to be tempted above that which you are 
able." (I Cor. X. 13.) He will, with the temptation, 
produce in you an increase of strength so that you 



VIGILANCE. 127 

may be able to bear it. St. Paul says so, and he 
further says that Christ Our Lord was tempted in 
the desert, ^'for in that, wherein He Himself hath 
suffered and been tempted. He is able to succor 
them also that are tempted." (Hebr, H. 18.) This 
should inspire us with the most undaunted courage 
to reflect that we fight under the banner of Jesus 
Christ. He leads us, He combats for and with us, 
He supports us, and if we prove faithful He will 
infallibly crown us with success. 

Notwithstanding this powerful assistance it is a 
melancholy but true reflection, that by far the 
greater number of mankind make no resistance to 
temptation. They yield because they are tempted. 
Why not resist ? Why not struggle and summon 
up your forces ? Why not banish the dangerous 
idea, the harmful image from your mind as soon 
as possible ? Why not quit the place, the associa- 
tions, where your mortal enemy, temptation, is 
lurking ? Why not call on Our Saviour, like David, 
'^O God, come to my assistance; O Lord, make 
haste to help me" (Ps. LXIX. 2.) ! 

There are some temptations, it must be owned, 
too strong and violent to be overcome, except by a 
special grace from Heaven. Divines say this grace 
is never wanting to those that ask for it. It is 
always either given or offered. Hence Our Lord 
desires us not only to ivatch, but also to pray. 
Watch, to prevent the danger ; pray, when it is 
impending. But if you take none of these pre- 
cautions, if you neither struggle with the danger, 
nor avoid the occasion, nor apply to God for help, 
is it surprising you should fall as often as you do ? 



128 FOURTH DAY. 

Your weakness is great, but the power of God is 
greater. Have recourse to this power. Fear not 
the attacks of the evil spirit. Since the passion 
and death of Christ he is bound up in chains, says 
St. Augustine, lest he should give too great scope 
to his malice. He can indeed tempt, but he cannot 
overcome. Like a furious dog, he can bark and 
rage ; keep at a distance and you are safe. He 
cannot hurt you. 

''Be vigilant", St. Peter admonishes us. If we 
are not, one negligent step may engulf us in eternal 
ruin. Put on the ainior of faith, and God's grace 
will ever aid you in tliis mighty conflict. 



Afternoon Conference. 

XX. 

Causes of Relapse. 

"And Ihe last stage of that roan is 
made worse than the first. " — 

Matth. XII. 45. 

Odious as sin is in itself, offensive as it is to 
God, yet it acquires a considerable accession to its 
deformity, in proi)Ortion to the deliberation with 
which it is committed. The same sin, committed 
})y different persons, may widely vary in the degree 
of offence, according to their different degrees of 
advertence respecting the act they perform. Ignor- 
ance will sometimes excuse a person entirely from 
sin. But he who knows, or ought to know, that 
the act which he performs is sinful, incurs all the 
guilt, all the malice of his sin. Such a man, in an 
eminent degree, is he who relapses into sin after 



CAUSES OF RELAPSE. 129 

repentance. He has prostrated himself before the 
rei)resentatiYe of Christ, has acknowledged his 
transgressions in humble and sincere confession, 
and has been impressed with all the enormity of his 
evil habits. The commission of sin, after such a 
knowledge of its enormity, involves, besides the 
depravity that is connected with the act, a contempt 
of God, and a virtual retraction of the sorrow 
expressed in confession. Eelapse, though thus 
terrible is not uncommon, and it is conducive to our 
spiritual welfare to examine the causes whence it 
originates. 

The first cause of relapse is the return to the 
occasions of sin. — Whatever object , of itseW jor_by 
reason of ^.t^. circumstances , conveys to the heart 
dangerous^ impression^, is called an occasion of 
sin. These occasions are various, according to tlie 
various dispositions and sensibilities of different 
persons. What induces one man to sin, is not 
always dangerous to another. Some things, indeed, 
of their own nature, incline the heart to evil ; but, 
generally, each individual must judge from his 
knowledge of his own disiDositions what will be 
fatal for him. If, with this knowledge, he volun- 
tarily exposes himself to that occasion, is he not 
answerable for the evil results that arise from it ? 

To the objection, that sin often results from 
diversions, actions, and company in themselves 
most innocent, there can be no other rei^ly but that 
occasions of sin, whatever they may be, must be 
avoided. ^'If thy eye scandalize thee, " says Our 
Saviour, ^^pluck it out and cast it from thee." 
(Matth. XYIII. 9.) And Solomon says, ^ 'There is 



130 . FOURTH DAY. 

a way wliicli seemetli just to a man, but the ends 
thereof lead to death." (Prov. XIY. 9.) The 
devil hirks under various disguises. His attacks 
are not made openly. It would render his assaults 
in vain, were he to show himself in his true form. 
It is in the moments when we are off our guard, in 
the hours of relaxation, in congenial company, 
when the passions are awakened, and the heart is 
carried along the tide of dissipation, that he makes 
his approach. Ever watchful, and knowing our 
particular infirmity, he improves the opportunity 
when we are courting the occasions that were our 
ruin before, to cause our relapse. 

The most innocent enjoyments in life, if they 
lead to our spiritual ruin, must be abandoned. 
The dearest connections, if they interfere with the 
love of God, must be broken ; for in this respect 
the words of Christ api^ly to every Christian, ''If 
aqy man come to me, and hate not his father, and 
mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and 
sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my 
disciple." (Luke XIY. 26.) Thus jealous is God 
of our exclusive love. He will not suffer anything 
to be fur a moment balanced against Him. What 
though the enjoyments that are a man's ruin be in 
themselves harmless ? What though the company 
in which lie falls into sin be of approved morality? 
To him they are forbidden. Vain are our hopes of 
escai^e, vain our best resolutions, vain all our 
circumspection, vain our prayer for help, as long 
as we continue to seek those occasions which we 
know to be dangerous. "He that loveth danger, 
shall perish in it." (Eccli. III. 27.) Man adheres 



CAUSES OF EEL APSE. 131 

very implicitly to this saying of Holy Scripture in 
what relates to dangers of the body. If any one 
came near the danger of death in consequence of 
some imprudence in trusting too much to the 
strength of his constitution, he seldom fails to be 
more careful in the future. But the separation 
from God is not deemed an object deserving greater 
watchfulness in the future ; the death of our soul 
is not sufficient to convince us of our weakness. 
Though we are sensible that God is the only object 
worthy of our love, and though we live constantly 
in danger of having our love for Him diminished 
or lost entirely by the familiar habit of hearing 
and seeing Him offended ; though we have been 
already enstranged from Him, and know by 
experience the place and occasion, we again walk 
over the dangerous ground ; though still trembling 
from recent rescue, we are again attracted by the 
danger, and overcome by it. Of such St. Peter 
says, ''It had been better for them not to have 
known the way of justice, than after they have 
known it to turn back from that holy commandment 
which was delivered to them." (II. Pet. II. 21.) 
Whence does this weakness originate ? From that 
neglect of the means necessary for the perseverance 
in grace, which is the second cause of relapse. 

In our present condition the human heart inclines 
rather to what is depraved than good. It is impos- 
sible, therefore, to persevere in the state of grace 
without divine assistance. It is from God we are 
to expect the graces necessary for perseverance. 
But can we hope for these graces without using the 
means to obtain them ? God owes nothing to man. 



132 FOURTH DAY. 

He has, nevertheless, bountifully and gratuitously 
provided everything necessary for his salvation. 
''What is there," says Our Lord by His prophet 
Isaias, ''that I ought to do more to my vineyard, 
that I have not done to itl" (Isai. lY. 4.) 
"Graces," says St. Augustine, "could be given to 
those who do not ask for them; but God would 
have us admonished, by our praying fOr them, 
from Whom we receive those blessings." 

Prayer, therefore is one of the means we must 
employ. It is a homage due to God, through 
Whom we are whatever we are. It is an acknowl- 
edgment of our dependence on Him, and a means 
by which we cultivate His friendship, and through 
which we strengthen our weakness. Can man 
claim an independence of his Creator? He, Avho 
from the cradle to the grave, of whatever condition 
he be, is indebted for existence to others, lives in 
mutual dependence on his fellow mortals ? Yet, he 
who neglects to pray virtually says that he stands 
in no need of God. And can he expect God to 
shower down graces upon him ? He will withdraw 
His saving hand from the lukewarm, and abandon 
them to the feeble strength on wliieh they presume. 
Let us, then, beware of mistaking that calmness of 
soul which follows a sincere conversion to God, 
and that internal satisfaction which attends a con- 
science freed from the load of sin, for a jjerpetual 
exemption from the attacks of satan, or even for a 
respite from his snares. If we slumber the enemy 
of our souls will be wakeful. Nothing rouses his 
malice more than to see his evil intentions foiled 
by repentance. If we allow ourselves to be lulled 



CAUSES OF RELAPSE. 133 

• 

into a fatal security, he will seize that favorable 
moment to regain the place from which penance has 
dislodged him. ''I will return into my house from 
whence I came out." (Matth. XII. 44.) The 
I practice of virtue admits of no intermission. There 
j is no point whereat to pause. _We must either 
j__advance or go back. We must either commit our- 
selves to the guidance of grace, or^ become the 
victim of the devil's snares. As he is very vigilant, 
our endeavors must never be relaxed ; and if, after 
the performance of penance, the self-satisfaction 
which such an act tends to produce arise in the 
breast, we must not imagine ourselves secure ; we 
must still ^^watch and pray, lest we enter into temp- 
tation." 

But we cannot always be engaged in prayer. 
Even that portion of our time which remains after 
we have satisfied the claims of our other duties, 
will often appear too long to be devoted to that 
holy exercise. On the manner in which these 
intervals of leisure are silent, much will depend. 
For the mind, though it is soon fatigued by too 
intense an application to any single subject, yet can 
never be in a total state of rest. It must exert its^ 
^activity; and if no^ usefully engaged, it will indulge 
in vain and sinful reveries. Hence idleness has 
been represented by all moral writers as the source 
of a great multitude of spiritual evils. In idle 
hours our thoughts are sure to turn to those bad 
inclinations to which we are most prone. It is 
then that every sinful act is projected^ 

^N'othing can prevent such consequences but to 
keep the mind occupied in something useful. And 



134 FOUETH DAY. 

Tvhat more agreeable manner of engaging its atten- 
tion tlian spiritual reading? We might, at least, 
expect that leisure and spare hours be appropriated 
to this salutary exercise. But, alas, even the day 
appointed by God Himself to be kept holy is spent 
without its practice ; the obligations of Sunday are 
supposed to be complied with after Mass has been 
attended, whilst the rest of the day is, at best, 
devoted to sterile rest. Can such neglect of God 
be suffered without injuring the soul ? It is absurd 
to suppose it. 

But the most efficacious means of j^reserving 
grace is the devout reception uf the sacraments. 
The sacraments were instituted for our sanctifica- 
tion, and for the nmintenance of our spiritual life. 
AYhen Christ withdrew Himself from among us. He 
would not leave us without the means bj' which we 
were to follow Him. Aj\'are of the repugnance of 
human nature to virtue^ a nd of the necessi ty of a 
means^ to preserve us from the evil influence of the 
deceitful and fatal allurements of the world^ whilst 
He withdrew His corporal i)resence from us. He 
chose and i)ioinis('(l to bo s piritually witli us in Hij 
sacramejits to the cud of time. To the sacraments 
He has attached 11 is i;races, and in them displayed 
His mercy in the most wonderful and mysterious 
manner, and in the Most Holy Eucharist He has 
given us Himself, God and man, really and truly, 
for the nourishment of our soul. In this, what 
love does He not evince, what bounty! The rest of 
the sacraments have some particular end ; they 
confer each a particular grace; in the Blessed 
Eucharist every grace is centred, the Source of 
grace condescends to become the food of man. 



CAUSES OF EEL APSE. 135 

And when we consider that, to fortify us against 
sin and those occasions of sin which so abound in 
life, He has instituted a sacrament so wonderful, 
and has empowered mortal and sinful man to call 
Him down from His throne of glory by the utterance 
of the words of consecration, to be a daily sacrifice 
under the humble forms of bread and wine ; what 
estimate does not this reflection lead us to make of 
the enormity of sin which^such means were adopted 
to prevent ! 

That Christ chose to veil His presence under the 
forms of bread and wine is not without significance. 
He would have us understand from it that the 
Most Holy Eucharist was intended for our susten- 
ance, for J) reserving the soul. As the body is in 
constant process of consumi:)tion, and needs a con- 
stant renewal of nourishment, so the soul is con- 
stantly awakened either by the unceasing activity 
of the passions, by the temptations of the devil, 
or by external assaults upon its resolutions and 
fortitude; and if, to prolong the short period of 
human life, unfailing attention to bodily wants be 
absolutely necessary, how much more is it necessary 
to furnish the soul with nourishment that is to give 
permanency to its spiritual life ! 

In conclusion : It is vain that we flatter ourselves 
with the hope of recovering God's grace, whilst we 
are unwilling to remove the occasions of sin, and to 
use the means of perseverance. Make as many 
fair promises as you please ; form as many fir^e 
resolutions as you will, they are not to be relied 
upon whilst you continue wilfully in the dangerous 
occasions of sin. By refusing to renounce and 



136 FOURTH DAY. 

shun the causes of your relapse, and to employ the 
means of perseverance, you cannot be deemed a 
true and sincere penitent. In this case it becomes 
true what Our Divine Saviour says, '^And when an 
unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh 
through dry places seeking rest, and findeth none. 
Then he saith, I will return into my house from 
whence I came out. And coming, he findeth it 
empty, swept and garnished. Then he goeth and 
taketh with him seven other spirits more wicked 
than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: 
and the last state of that man is made worse than 
the first." (Matth. XII. 43—45.) 



Evening Meditation. 

XXI. 

On Hell. 

"Come and see the works of God, 
Who is terrible in His counsels over 
the sous of men." — Ps. LXV. 5. 

The consideration of Hell is a subject on which 
exaggeration need not to be feared, because it is 
impossible. The most fervid mind, the most 
powerful imagination of man in this life never yet 
pictured to itself its real horrors ; they are ade- 
quately conceived, alas, only by those who ex- 
X^erience them. As to the torments suffered by 
the damned, let us briefly sum them up, and dwell 
more at length on the sei)aration from God, and 
the eternal duration of hell. ^'Come, then, and 
see the works of God, Who is terrible in His coun- 
sels over the sons of men." 



OlS" HELL. 137 

The first notion of Hell is a prison. Once closed 
on the prisoner, it never reopens ; in vain does he 
look for any outlet, for any escape : an almighty 
Hand binds him down. The dungeons of this world 
allow some room to their inmates, some range for 
motion and action ; but the prisoners of Hell are 
otherwise situated; each one of them is bound 
down in his own eternal place, deprived of all 
liberty and power alike to escape his tormentors, 
to resist their assaults, or to afford himself the 
slightest relief by a change of position. It is thus 
man is punished for the misuse of that liberty he 
prizes so much on earth, but which he so often 
wickedly perverts. 

Then comes that fire so often mentioned in Holy 
Scripture. Fire, of all elements of this world, is the 
most inexplicable in its nature, the most terrible 
in its effects. If such be the fire of this world, 
created for our use and subjected to our control, it 
may enable us to conceive another of a higher order, 
created by God expressly for His vengeance, and 
endued with the wonderful j)roperty of acting as 
well on the soul as on the body. It is a fire of this 
kind that the prisoners of Hell are plunged into ; 
they dwell in it as in their element, says the 
Apostle. It would be some alleviation for the 
sufferers if the fire which burns them afforded some 
light; but on the long night of the damned no 
morning shall ever dawn, no friendly ray shall by 
any chance wander across their infernal gloom ; 
darkness with all its horrors will wrap up and 
penetrate all their senses. 

Still the condition of the reprobate would not be 



138 FOUETH DAY. 

utterly desperate, if they suffered in solitude, or at 
least in such society as is supportable ; but the last 
aggravation of their jirison is the company that 
infects it. This is no otlier than the infernal spi- 
rits, those spirits ^vho, from being once the beauti- 
ful inhabitants of heaven, are now become the foul 
and hideous monsters of the deep, and are there- 
fore depicted to us in Holy Scripture under the 
most frightful forms. "While they themselves con- 
tinually smart under divine vengeance, they are 
deputed to exercise it upon others, an oftice for 
which they are but too well qualified by their 
jiower, their craft and their malignity. They will 
incessantly haunt the wretched sufferers, allowing 
them no rest, continually goading and exasperating 
them, mocking their pains, and stinging them with 
the most cruel taunts and reproaches. 

Nor think that the sufferers in Hell find any 
solace from their fellows in dauination. They hate 
and execrate one another, and continually discharge 
on each other all that bitter but impotent malice 
with which their souls overflow. And as to those 
who have been accomplices in sin, they will find 
in the sight and company of each other a new Hell; 
they will be to one another implacable furies, and 
expiate their guilty passion l)y the most cruel 
hatred. In a word, conceive a mingled scene of 
endless discord, war, rage, liatred and revenge, 
and you will have some idea of this ''land of misery 
and darkness, where the shadow of death, and no 
order, but everlasting horror dwelleth." (Job. 
X. 22.) 

These are onlv the main features of Hell. To 



ON HELL. 139 

complete the picture, we must subjoin to it an 
accumulation of other circumstances ; the groans 
and curses of the damned, the cruel hunger and 
thirst never to be alleviated even by one drop of 
water ; the dismal moanings that ever ring there. 
And when you have put together these circum- 
stances, and whatever of this kind the terrified 
imagination can invent, do not think you have 
finished the subject and formed an adequate con- 
ception of Hell. No ; '^come and see the works of 
God, Who is terrible in His counesls over the sons 
of men.'^ You have as yet entered into only half 
its terrors. All that you have hitherto contem- 
plated relates chiefly to the body : but it is the soul 
that is the seat of pain, and it is there mainly that 
the justice of God will satiate itself and fix its 
sharpest arrows. 

The human soul is the master-piece of God. Its 
powers and passions are most wonderful. Observe 
now two or three of them under the action of Divine 
justice in the world to come. 

Conscience is that power of the soul by which it 
knows itself ; by which it sees what is within it ; 
by which it discerns right and wrong ; by which it 
is happy in innocence and wretched in guilt. As in 
this life a good conscience is a i)eri)etual feast, so a 
guilty conscience is an insufferable torment. But 
if the guilty conscience in this world be painful, it 
is salutary ; it is given rather as a monitor than a 
tormentor. In Hell, however, its office is not to 
amend, but to torment. This is what is meant 
by that singular exj^ression so often used by 
Our Divine Saviour, "their worm dieth not." 
(Mark IX. 43.) 



140 FOURTH DAY. 

Then comes memory to increase this torment ; 
that various and active power, which in life so 
promptly ministers to our wants and enjoyments. Its 
sad and single office is now to collect from the past 
all that can make us miserable. The miserable man 
in Hell remembers his sins ; he remembers the first 
sin he ever committed ; that unhappy day, when 
his yet free and well-balanced soul wantonly made 
the fatal transition from right to wrong; he re- 
members for what a trifle he made the woeful 
change ; how empty, how miserable, how momen- 
tary was the guilty pleasure he snatched ; how base 
in itself, how bitter in its fruits. He remembers 
how, untaught by the severe lesson, he suffered 
himself to be again deluded, repeated his offence, 
and at last became familiar with iniquity, persisted 
in it in spite of conviction, in spite of constant dis- 
appointment. Then he remembers all the efforts 
that were made to recover and save him, all the 
graces he received from God, all the remorses of 
conscience within, all the warnings from without, 
the exhortations of his spiritual guide, the good 
exami^le of others, the i)rayers of his friends, all of 
which he frustrated. He calls to mind the power- 
ful heli)s which he had in his own hands, prayer, 
the holy sacraments, special graces. A little exer- 
tion, and any one of these would have saved him ; 
a single confession well made, a few fervent prayers, 
one short act of contrition would have been enough. 
He had it once in his power, but now it is too late. 
He had the precious moment at his disi)osal, but 
he let it slip. He had but to move a finger, and 
he would have turned aside with ease the immense 



ON HELL. 141 

load of woe that oppresses him ; and now there is 
no power in heaven or on -earth that will ever be 
able to remove or alleviate it. Then it is that the 
unhappy wretch hates and curses himself, and 
acknowledging the justice of his punishment, be- 
comes his own voluntary executioner. His infuriated 
soul can be compared to nothing better than the 
fabled reptile which in the fury of its pain is said 
to turn on itself and sting its own vitals. 

Next, imagination rises up to his torment. It 
represents to him in bitter contrast all that he was 
created for. It busily paints to him the joys of 
heaven ; it transports him thither, and shows him 
all the bliss, all the delights of that glorious king- 
dom, and then cruelly suggests that all this was to 
be once, if he had pleased, his own ; that he was 
positively created for it, and might have obtained 
it with the greatest ease ; and he has deliberately 
exchanged it for his own desperate condition. He 
sees the saints of God, many of them his own 
acquaintances, his friends and relatives, happy 
with God, and entirely occupied with their own 
joys, without the least care or concern for the re- 
probate who is thus cruelly tormented ; or if they 
ever regard or remember him, approving of his 
torments, as due to the justice of God, Who is now 
their only object. Then shall the wretch fall back 
again in despair upon himself and verify the words 
of the prophet, ' ^The wicked shall see, and shall 
be angry, he shall gnash with his teeth and pine 
away." (P. CXI. 10.) The passions, those springs 
of the soul, will act upon the sinner, and exert all 
their force in grinding and oppressing that spiritual 



142 FOURTH DAY. 

substance which they served to guide and impel 
before. Fear, the most painful sentiment, will 
ever haunt him with terrible apprehensions, with 
horrible imaginings. Sadness will ever steep his 
soul in the most black and bitter melancholy. 
Desire will incessantly corrode his heart with 
insatiate and vain longings, and aversion torture 
him with horror. Oh, the cruel situation of ever 
wishing for what can never be, and always hating 
what must be for ever! 

Without dwelling longer on the rest, there is one 
passion which will serve to illustrate all, as it is 
the master-}) rinciple, and, indeed, properly under- 
stood, the sole passion of the heart. — The sinner 
once loved ; he once felt the charm of that sacred 
and ravishing influence which the love of God 
exerts ; or, at least he loved the creatures of God ; 
lie amused, if he could not satiate, his heart with 
them ; he misdirected the tendency, but he felt 
some of its sweetuess. Now, all creatures being 
withdrawn from him, his soul will violently turn to 
its natural object, will expand to its Creator all its 
vast capacity, and be drawn toward Him with a 
force^ of which we shall in vain seek an image in 
this life ; and terrible to think, this all-essential 
Creator will incessantly mock and repel all its 
efforts, and with the whole force of His omnipotent 
arm, bind it down in this state of violence. He may 
form some idea of this who has ever felt what it is 
to have the heart torn away from some dear object, 
if he only conceive that object, instead of being 
trivial and transient, to be infinitely charming and 
inestimable ; but he will still more correctly im- 



ON' HELL. 143 

agine it, who has had his most ardent affection 
flung back upon him with terrible contempt by the 
only object in which his heart was centred. This 
may give us an imj)erfect idea of the state of the 
soul reprobated by God. It was created essentially 
for good : God is the sovereign good, the only good, 
the infinite beauty, the source and centre of all 
love ; yet He will not be loved by the reprobate 
soul, much less will He love it ; on the con- 
trary. He repels all its approaches and spurns it 
forever from Him. Nay, more than this : He be- 
comes Himself its tormentor, and it knows and feels 
that what it suffers comes from Him ; that His 
pleasure is its pain, and that it is in His hands all 
the while, in those divine hands so amiable in 
themselves, but now so terrible, which prepare un- 
seen and inflict all its tortures. Here then, doubt- 
less, it is that occurs that mourning and weeping so 
often spoken of by Our Divine Eedeemer. The 
unhapi:)y soul, thus flung off from her only good, 
abandons itself to its anguish and i^ours out torrents 
of bitter tears, tears utterly fruitless. God views 
them with the most perfect.indifference, and suffers 
them to be wept uni^itied and unregarded. Then 
the unhai)py soul curses the day of its union with 
the body ; itself becomes a hell more cruel than the 
one which surrounds it, and is torn with remorse, 
rage and desi)air. 

Is the picture of Hell now complete ? — No ; it 
yet wants its last and most terrible circumstance. 
What we have hitherto considered is dreadful in- 
deed, yet it can be conceived. It is finite. But to 
suit an infinite God it must have something of 



144 FOURTH DAY. 

infinitude about it ; and therefore Hell only becomes 
truly Hell, and completely overwhelming to us, 
when, collecting together all its torments, we add 
that they are to last without change, without inter- 
mission, without alleviation — for ever! 

Try to conceive and feel what this means. Make 
a supposition which has often been made, but has 
not the less force on that account. Suppose that 
the injured Creator should make with His suffering 
creature this hard condition, that from all his 
floods of tears He would accept and lay by one in 
a thousand years, till he should have shed enough, 
not to make a river or form an ocean, but to fill up 
to the very summit the immense void between 
heaven and earth. Consider well the terms of the 
agreement : what kind of grace does this seem to 
you ? The oldest inhabitant of the land of desolation 
would yet but have shed six tears — six tears 
against an ocean! The term surely could never 
arrive ; this is but another idea for eternity itself. — 
You are mistaken ! The time would certainly come ; 
the time would come when he would first see half 
of his immense task completed. Then he would 
achieve another half of the still immense remainder; 
and at last the time would come when the unhapj)y 
wretch would exult to see the immeasurable ocean 
just swelling to its full accomplishment and only 
one tear wanting to complete its level! — And 
would not God then, do you think, a God of infinite 
love, He Who once died for man, would He not 
then, at least, begin to relent, and make some 
allowance for all the suffering % No ; not the slight- 
est! The supposition is a fiction, and it will never 



ON HELL. 145 

be realized. Begin again, unhappy sufferer ! Weep 
afresli, and when thou shalt have shed oceans of 
oceans of tears, thou wilt still have labored in vain : 
thy eternity will still be entire ; God will live for- 
ever, and thou wilt be tormented forever, forever, 

FOREVER ! 

O Eternity, who ever yet considered thee aright? 
And who that ever thought of thee seriously could 
dare sin? — Will, then, a God of unbounded good- 
ness and mercy see His once beloved creature in 
endless misery and torture and never relent ? — 
Never ! — Is it possible that a God of infinite com- 
passion, Who from the sinner on earth would 
accept a single prayer or tear in atonement for all 
his sins, can see all this vast series of suffering and 
not relent? — He never will ; it is certain that He 
never will. — Such is the malice of sin! 

Cherish as the greatest of treasures, and i)rize as 
the most solid of all principles, in ox)position to 
the spirit of the world, that salutary fear of God, 
which is so often pointed out to you as the be- 
ginning of wisdom ; being assured that we all stand 
in need of it for salvation ; that God is inscrutable 
in His judgments ; that many will come in that 
place of woe who once never expected it ; that many 
have ended ill who began well, as some have ended ^ 
well who began ill ^ that final perseverance is a 
grace of God which He owes to no man, and that 
he only .can justly ho]3e for it who, to the last, 
works out his salvation in fear and trembling. 

PRAYER. 
O Great and Omnipotent God, Who hast in Thy 
hands the keys of Death and Hell, how terrible art 

10 



146 FOURTH DAY. 

Thou to Thine enemies ! How dare I offend a God 
Who can throw both my body and my soul into 
hell ! I have sinned, and thereby become liable to 
eternal damnation, but Thy mercy has waited for 
my ponance. O Lamb of God, Who takest away 
the sins of the world : Jesus, have mercy on me! 
Let not the fruit and merits of Thy sacred passion 
and death be lost on me. "Have mercy on me, O 
God, according to Thy great mercy! Turn away 
Thy face from my sins, and blot out all my ini- 
quities. Cast me not away from Thy face, and 
take not Thy Holy Spirit from me ! ' ' Amen. 



Points of rieditation for next Morning. 

XXII. 

Recapituhitioii. 

"Fear ye Him, Who after He has 
killed, hath power to cast into hell." — 

Luke XII. 5. 

1. "7^ is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the 
living God.^^ (Hebr. X. 31.) — If a person were to 
hold you by the hair of your head over a fiery 
abyss full of serpents and scorpions, would you 
dare at the same time to offend and provoke that 
person ? — And yet you offend and provoke God 
Who, if He should withdraw His hand from you, 
would permit you to fall into a still more terrible 
abyss, into the everlasting pit. How long will you 
continue in the state of those of whom it is written, 
''They provoke God boldly" (Job XTI. 6.)? 

2. Hell is an abyss of fire. — In Hell all conceiv- 
able torments are united as in one centre, where 



ON HELL. 147 

they exercise their power, influence and bitterness 
to the utmost. In this fire are gathered the repro- 
bate, as so many living corpses, burning but not 
consumed, tortured without rest, suffering without 
intermission. ^'Bind his hands and feet, and cast 
him into the exterior darkness; there shall be 
weeping and gnashing of teeth. ' ' (Matth. XXII. 13. ) 
3. To this abyss the reprobate are condemned for all 
eternity. — The sentence, ^'Depart from me, you 
cursed" (Matth. XXV. 41.), will banish them for 
ever from God; from God, for Whom they were 
created, and without Whom their hearts shall never 
be satisfied. Terrible thought, to be banished from 
God for all eternity ! A God of infinite compassion, 
Who from the sinner on earth would accept a 
single prayer or tear in atonement for all his sins, 
will punish him in Hell for ever, and will never 
relent! Never! 



us 



Fifth Day. 

fleditation during the Forenoon. 

XXTI. 
On the Sacred Passion of Oiir Lord Jesus Christ. 

V 

"Christ suffered for us leaving you 
an example that you should follow 
His steps." — 1. Pet. II. 21. 

Our first parents, having forfeited their original 
innocence, and shut the gates of heaven against 
themselves and their whole posterity by their dis- 
obedience, it became necessary that a victim of 
infinite dignity should be substituted in our place, 
in order to appease the wrath of God, and to atone, 
in the rigor of justice, for the offence and indignity 
offered to the infinite Majesty of God by sin. The 
whole creation was not able to furnish such a 
victim. AVlierefore, when four thousand years had 
elapsed after the fall of Adam, the Eternal Son of 
the living God, the Second Person of the Most Holy 
Trinity, Jesus Christ, became man to be capable of 
suffering, remaining at the same time God to give 
an infinite value to His sufferings. He Avas pleased 
to choose the small town of Bethlehem for the place 
of His birth, and the great city of Jerusalem for His 
passion and death. One single drop of His Precious 
Blood was sufficient to atone for the sins of a thousand 
worlds, but, as St. Bernard devoutly remarks, what 
was sufficient for our redemption, was not sufficient 
for His boundless charity. 

Jesus, ''having loved His own who were in the 
world, Heloved them unto the end." (JohnXHI. 1.) 



ON THE PASSION OF OUR LORD. 149 

More and more He gave them strong proofs and 
signal pledges of His love, as He drew nearer to 
His deatli. — With what astonishment must the 
angels have beheld Him prostrate at the feet of His 
apostles at the Last Supper, washing and wiping 
them with the most profound humilitj-, and after- 
wards bequeathing to His Church, by His last will 
and testament, the inestimable legacy of His own 
sacred Body and Blood in the Most Holy Sacra- 
ment of the Eucharist ! Eetiring then with the 
three apostles, Peter, James and John, to the 
garden of Gethsemani, that conflict began, which 
ended on Mount Calvary. For as the downfall 
and ruin of mankind had commenced in a garden 
it was exj)edient that the reparation and redemption 
of mankind should likewise commence in a garden, 
says St. Peter Chrysologus. The garden of Eden 
had been the first scene of sin ; therefore, by a wise 
disposition of Providence, the garden of Olives 
became the first stage of our Eedeemer's Passion. 
There His blessed soul underwent an interior mar- 
tyrdom, and was overwhelmed with sorrow, so that 
He said to His apostles, ''My soul is sorrowful unto 
death." (Matth. XXYI. 38.) Fainting away 
under a double conflict, both of mind and body, He 
prostrated Himself with His face on the ground, 
and fell into a most painful agony, which caused 
Him to break forth in a bloody sweat. What 
chiefly caused this bloody sweat, and preyed most 
on His loving Heart, was the foresight He had of 
our ba:se ingratitude, and the loss of numberless 
souls, which He knew would frustrate the designs 
of His mercy and perish eternally through their 



150 FIFTH DAY. 

own obstinacy and perverseness, in spite of all He 
was to suffer for their salvation. 

In this sorrowful condition He betook Himself 
to prayer, to teach us that prayer is our best and 
surest resource in time of distress, and a most 
powerful means to overcome temptation. He 
prayed with humility, fervor, resignation and per- 
severance, to set us an example how we are to 
pray. He addressed His petition to His Heavenly 
Father three different times, before an angel was 
sent from heaven to comfort Him in His agony, 
instructing us thereby that the grace which is 
seemingly refused in the beginning, is often granted 
in the end, and therefore, that we are not to despond 
when we do not immediately obtain our requests, 
but we are to redouble our fervor, and to continue 
with an unwearied j)erseverance to strike at the 
gate of mercy until it be opened to us. In the 
meanwhile, the three apostles who had been eye 
witnesses of His glorious transfiguration on Mount 
Tabor, and were now become sad spectators of His 
agony, fell fast asleep, instead of watching and 
praying, as they had been warned, lest they should 
yield to temptation. Their sleep, says Eusebius, 
was a figure of the spiritual lethargy, sloth and 
indolence of those who are sq drowsy in their 
devotions, so lukewarm in the service of God, so 
careless in watching and praying with Jesus, that 
they justly deserve the same reproach He made to 
Simon Peter, when He found him asleep with his 
companions, ''Could you not watch one hour with 
mer' (Matth. XXVI. 40.) Alas, how far more 
diligent and attentive are the children of darkness 



OJ^ THE PASSION OF OUR LORD. 151 

in serving their master, tlian the children of light 
are in vServing God! Whilst Peter and his com- 
panions were sleeping, Judas, the nnhai)py apos- 
tate, was vigilant and active in planning the death 
of Jesus. Avarice induced him to sell his Lord 
and Master for thirty pieces of silver, betraying 
Him with a kiss. 

Behold your loving Eedeemer now in the hands 
of a furious rabble, armed with swords and clubs. 
He is dragged from the garden to Jerusalem ; He 
is presented before no less than four different 
judges, Annas, Caiphas, Pilate and Herod. False 
witnesses were suborned, groundless and contra- 
dictory charges were brought forward against Him ; 
He was questioned by Annas, condemned by 
Cai]3has, tortured by Pilate, mocked by Herod. 
St. Jerome tells us that one half of what Our Divine 
Eedeemer endured that night, shall not be made 
known until the day of judgment. In the morning, 
Jesus was hurried away from the tribunal of Caiphas 
to the court of Pilate, that the unjust sentence 
already pronounced by the highpriest might be 
ratified by him. Pilate, the Eoman governor, was 
conscious of Christ's innocence; he therefore made 
some weak efforts to rescue him out of their hands 
and set him at liberty. He sent Him to king 
Herod, but as Christ gave no answer to his ques- 
tions and would not gratify his curiosity by working 
a miracle in his presence, he treated Him with 
contempt and derision, and sent Him back to the 
court of Pilate. Pilate then set Christ in competi- 
tion with a notorious criminal called Barabbas, 
who was imprisoned for a murder he had committed, 



152 riTFH DAY. 

for it was customary every year to discharge a 
l)risoner on the day of the paschal festival, at the 
option and request of the people, in memory of the 
deliverance of their forefathers from the bondage 
of Egypt. He supposed their choice would fall 
ui>on Jesus, their most bountiful benefactor, but 
the ungrateful people unanimously petitioned in 
favor of Barabbas the murderer, and to crucify 
Jesus. See what malice is capable of when it has 
taken possession of the soul. You are filled with 
indignation thereat, and yet, alas, such is the 
monstrous choice you make whenever j'ou prefer 
the gratification of your passions, and the pleasures 
of sense to the grace and friendship of God. 

Pilate at length, being willing to gratify the Jews 
in some measure, set Barabbas at liberty, and 
wishing at the same time to preserve Jesus from 
l:>eing crucified, ordered Him to be scourged. The 
innocent Lamb of God was immediately surrounded 
by a band of bloodthirsty soldiers. He WTio clothes 
the universe was stripped of His garments, and 
His virgin body was exposed to the view of the 
rabble. To break the chains of our sins He suffered 
His hands to be tied, and i>ermitted the executioners 
to discharge a volley of lashes on His back, His 
breast. His arms and His shoulders ; every stroke 
gave Him a wound, every wound a stream of blood. 
Yet all this was not enough to satisfy the malice of 
His enemies. They conceived a new barbarity ; to 
add infamy to His sufferings they arrayed Him as 
a mock king; they covered His shoulders with an 
old cloak instead of a royal robe ; they put a reed 
in His hand instead of a sceptre, and instead of a 



ON THE PASSION OF OUR LORD. 153 

royal diadem they placed on His head a most 
painful crown of sharp thorns, which they pressed 
down forcibly, in order to make them penetrate 
the deej)er, and drive them, if possible, into His 
very brains. What tongue is able to exj^ress, 
what understanding able to comx^rehend the racking 
torture which Our Saviour endured from this mock 
coronation 1 Well might He say with the prophet, 
'^O all ye that pass by the way, attend, and see if 
there be any sorrow like to my sorrow." Yet He 
bore all these most excruciating pains with patience 
in order to purchase for us the crown of glory in 
heaven. 

Our Divine Redeemer being reduced to such a 
pitiable state, Pilate imagined that His sight 
would disarm the ha^tred of His most inveterate 
enemies so far, at least, as to induce them to desist 
from demanding His crucifixion. He therefore 
produced Him to the people, and presented Him 
to their view, saying, ^'Ecce homo, Behold the man ! ' ' 
See how He is all torn and disfigured, so as scarce 
to retain the shape of a man. So far were they 
from" relenting or being excited to compassion by 
this view, that they redoubled their clamor and 
shouts for His crucifixion. In vain did Pilate 
expostulate with them on the injustice of shedding 
innocent blood; in vain also did he attemjjt to 
exculpate himself by washing his hands in their 
presence and declaring he would not concur in so 
dreadful a crime, yet turning Our Saviour over to 
His enemies to be crucified. 

^'And bearing His own cross. He went forth to 
that place vrhich is called Calvary.*' (John XIX. 17.) 



154 FIFTH DAY. 

The cross was a light weight for His charity, says 
St. Augustine, but it must have been a very heavy 
and insupportable burden for His body, which was 
then almost exhausted. It pressed so hard upon 
His wounds that He began to sink under the load. 
His enemies perceiving this, and fearing He would 
expire on the way before they could enjoy the satis- 
faction of crucifying Him alive, ^^they foimd a man 
of Cyrene, named Simon ; him they forced to take 
up His cross" (Matth. XXVII. 32.), till Jesus at 
length, with much difficulty, arrived at the end of 
His painful journey. 

Contemjdate your Divine Redeemer now, covered 
with wounds, ''a man of sorrows," arrived on 
Mount Calvary. The executioners did not even 
allow Him time to breathe, but hastily dragged off 
His garments, which being pressed into His wounds 
by the weight of the cross, must have renewed all 
His wounds and made them to bleed afresh. His 
sacred body was then thrown down on the ground, 
and stretched upon the hard bed of the cross with- 
out any other pillow to support His head but the 
thorns with which it was crowned. His hands, 
which sway the sceptre of heaven, and His feet, 
which trample upon the powers of hell, were i^ierced 
with large nails, which being driven into the tender 
flesh, forced their way through the centre of the 
nerves and sinews, the veins and arteries, and 
caused four copious streams of blood to flow from 
the four great wounds of His hands and feet. 
Being thus fastened to the cross with nails, it was 
raised, amid the shouts of the populace, into the 
air, and was then suddenly dropped into the place 



ON THE PASSION OF OUR LOED. 155 

prepared for it. We may therefore naturally con- 
clude that, as the whole weight of His body was 
supported by His perforated hands and feet, the 
wounds must have been widened, His pains re- 
doubled, and His whole frame convulsed with the 
excruciating torment. There was no part of Him 
now without its peculiar suffering, says St. Bernard, 
except His tongue and Heart, and the one was 
given gall and vinegar to taste, while the other 
was pierced with a spear by one of the soldiers. 
This made St. Bonaventure exclaim, ^'O Longinus, 
why dost thou wound a heart already wounded 
with the arrows of divine love ? ' ' 

In this cruel position Jesus hung alive for the 
space of three long hours between two robbers, one 
on His right hand, the other on His left. One of 
the robbers prayed, repented, and was assured of 
his salvation with the words, "This day thou shalt 
be with me in paradise." (Luke XXIII. 43.) 
Whilst He was thus elevated between heaven and 
earth, as a mediator between God and man, says 
St. Augustine, He preached charity and patience 
to us from the pulpit of the cross, and offered 
Himself to the justice of His Eternal Father as a 
victim of reconciliation for the whole world, im- 
ploring mercy and pardon for us. ''Father, forgive 
them, ' ' He said, ' 'for they know not what they do. ' ' 
The blasphemous reproaches and railleries of His 
enemies were thus answered by a petition for 
pardon. He thirsted, but His thirst, as St. Augus- 
tine says, was a spiritual one for our salvation, 
rather than the thirst of His parched palate. And 
having fulfilled the prophecies, and the types and 



156 FIFTH DAY. 

figures of the Old Law, He recommended His 
soul into the hands of His Heavenly Father, and 
exclaiming, ''It is consummated," He bowed His 
head with the most perfect submission, and breathed 
forth his spirit. 

No sooner had Jesus expired, when all nature 
revolted. A dreadful earthquake ensued, the veil 
of the temple of Jerusalem, which hung before the 
sanctuary, was rent from top to bottom, the sun 
was eclipsed, and the earth was overspread with 
darkness ; the rocks burst asunder, and the tombs 
were opened ; the chief of the guards, who assisted 
at the execution, astonished at such miracles, loudly 
proclaimed that Jesus was the Son of God, and 
many of the spectators returned home striking 
their breasts with contrition and grief. 

Will you alone remain insensil)le, where all 
creation mourns ? Will you refuse to bathe your 
Redeemer's wounds with a few penitential tears? 
And if you do not weep for His cruel sufferings, 
will you not shed tears for your sins which caused 
them? Behold the crucifix, the image and memorial 
of your Saviour. Eead this book of the cross, this 
compendious history of His passion and death with 
proper attention. Fix the eyes of your soul devoutly 
on it: Ecce homo! Behold the Man of Sorrows! 
Behold how dear your salvation has been to Him. 
What return will you make for his incomprehen- 
sible love for you ? Can you find it in your heart 
to renew His passion, and crucify Him over again 
by relapsing into sin I — 

^'We adore Thee, O Christ, and praise Thee, 
because by Thy cross and passion Thou hast 
redeemed the world." 



ON THE LOVE QP GOD. 157 

Spiritual Reading 

XXIY. 
On the Love of God. 

•'He that loveth not, abideth in. 
death." — I John, III. 14. 

It is a settled point of Christian morality, that 
any man that has not the love of God, can have no 
pretensions to heaven. For heaven is a reward 
which God has promised, through Jesus Christ, to 
all those who fulfill His law. Now as it is the first 
and greatest commandment of the law to love God 
with all our hearts, it is plain that if anybody does 
not love God, he does not fulfill the law, and conse- 
quently can have no right to the reward of eternal 
happiness. ''He that loveth not, abideth in death" 
(I John, HI. 14.); that is, he is dead to the grace 
of God, dead to all hopes of everlasting bliss, and 
doomed to eternal death. Xothing, therefore, can 
be more indispensable concerning our salvation, 
than the love of God, as api)ears not only from 
what St. John has said, but from the positive com- 
mand of Jesus Christ Himself: "Thou shalt love 
the Lord thy God with thy whole heart, and with 
thy whole soul, and with thy whole mind." (Matth. 
XXII. 37.) Thou shalt love Him in j^reference to, 
and beyond anything in heaven or on earth, love 
Him for His own sake alone, on account of His 
adorable perfections, and on account of the un- 
speakable blessings He has i)Oured forth on mankind 
in general and on yourself in particular. 

Can we, in truth and sincerity, say that we have 
hitherto loved God, or that we love Him even at 



158 FIFTH DAY. 

present above all things ? It is to be feared that we 
have been deficient in nothing so much as in this. 
Instead of loving God as we ought to have done, is 
it not the world, its advantages, its pleasures, its 
follies, its vanities, we have loved — and loved to 
distraction"? Can anything be more criminal than 
to be continually transgressing the first and greatest 
precept of the law, anything more unreasonable 
than to be continually giving to creatures the love 
and affection due to the Creator ? 

We are created for no other end than to love and 
serve God, from Whom alone we receive all that 
we possess and all that we are. From God alone 
can we receive grace in this life and happiness in 
the next ; and yet we have loved every thing except 
God. It remains therefore that we humble our- 
selves before Him, acknowledge our past errors, 
dei)lore them in the bitterness of our souls, and 
begin at length to turn all our affections towards 
that Almighty Being, in Whom they should always 
have been centred and fixed. 

Did we but conceive the virtue and excellence of 
the love of God, we would certainly use all our 
endeavors to attain it. One act of the love of God 
is so excellent, say the masters of spiritual life, that 
it is capable, if made from a pure motive, of 
blotting out the greatest sins, and reconciling the 
greatest sinner to God. This wonderful effect of 
divine love is grounded on those words of Our 
Divine Saviour, ^^If any one love me, he will keep 
my word, and my Father will love him, and we 
will come to him, and make our abode in him.'' 
(John XIY. 23.) Whoever, therefore, loves God, 



ON THE LOVE OF GOD. 159 

is loved by Him, and consequently must appear 
righteous and agreeable in His eyes, which could 
not be the case if the love of God did not efface all 
sins and transgressions. 

This love, which justifies the greatest sinners in 
the eyes of God, consists of two parts ; the love of 
preference and the love of benevolence or com- 
placency. 

The love of preference consists in loving God 
above all things, and preferring Him before all 
creatures in heaven or on earth. For as God is 
infinitely great and good. He requires that we love 
Him in a manner worthy of His infinite greatness 
or goodness. This we can never do but by loving 
Him more than the whole world besides. If, there- 
fore, you truly love God, you must love Him 
beyond life itself ; for Our Saviour says in the 
gospel, ^^He that loveth father or mother more 
than me, is not worthy of me : and he that loveth 
son or daughter more than me, is not worthy of 
me.'' (Matth. X. 37.) 

But when have we an opportunity of testifying 
this love of preference unto God ? — As often as 
the observance of His commandments comes into 
question; for Our Saviour says, ^'If any one love 
me, he will keep my word" (John XI Y. 23.), and 
again, ^'Thou shalt love the Lord thy God . . . This 
is the greatest and the first commandment." 
(Matth. XXII. 37, 38.) If you would know 
whether you possess the love of God required by 
Christ, or not, see how you observe the law. For 
instance : An opportunity offers of increasing your 
gains, but the means are sinful. If you love God 



160 PIFTH DAY. 

above all things, you will renounce the prospect of 
gain and prefer the fidelity to God to all the ad- 
vantages of this world. Or, from jour situation in 
life you may frequently fall in with persons whose 
demeanor and conversation is contrary to the 
precepts of virtue: if you love God above all 
things, you will refuse to humor them, and prefer 
the fidelity to God to the ways of the world. Or, 
a man has injured you severely ; it is in your power 
to revenge yourself upon him : if you love God 
above all things, you will prefer His love and 
fidelity to the revenge it is in your power to obtain. 
In a woid were your life at stake,, and were it in 
your power to preserve it by one single sin, you 
were obliged by the love of preference you owe to 
God to lay down your very life rather than trans- 
gress His holy law. 

But, oh, where are these heroic sentiments to be 
found ? Where is the man whose conduct shows 
that he has the love of God in his heart ? — One 
thing is certain, that any man who has not the love 
of God in him — that love, which places God and 
the fidelity to His laws above all the considerations 
of this world, has no share in Clirist, but on the 
contrary, lives every moment of his life — before 
God — in a state of reprobation. 

Besides this love of preference there is another 
love we are obliged to have for God : the love of 
benevolence or complacency ; that is, Ave are obliged 
to love God with our whole heart, with our whole 
soul, with our whole mind — not only above all 
things, but likewise for His own sake, with a pure 
and disinterested love. Hence, first, we are obliged 



ON THE LOVE OF GOD. 161 

in conscience to make acts of this pure and dis- 
interested love immediately after attaining the use 
of reason ; secondly, we are obliged to make them 
frequently in the course of our life ; and thirdly, we 
are most particulary obliged to make them at the 
hour of death. 

It is lawful, most certainly, to love God on 
account of the happiness He has prepared for us in 
the life to come : for a devout soul may serve God 
on account of the reward ; but that is only a sec- 
ondary motive. We may wish our own happiness, 
but should still more wish the glory of God and the 
accomplishment of His holy will. To love Him for 
His own perfections and because He wills it, should 
be our i)rincipal desire. 

To conclude, let the obligation dwell strong in 
our minds of making frequent and fervent acts of 
divine love. At least every morning and evening 
you ought to say, ^^O my God, I love Thee from all 
my heart, not because Thou canst make me happy 
or miserable, but because Thou art my God and my 
all." Or with St. Augustine, ^'Too late I began to 
love Thee, O my God! But now that I know Thee, 
I know my obligation : I love Thee with all my 
heart, and will love Thee for evermore. ' ' 

If we love God, He will love us in return, and 
not only love us, but show us one day how much 
He loves us — in the glory of heaven. 



11 



162 FLFTH DAY. 

Afternoon Conference. 

XXV. 

On Holy Conimnnion. 

Our belief in the real presence of Our Lord Jesus 
Christ in the Most H0I3' Eucharist ought to enkindle 
in our hearts the most ardent desire of frequently 
uniting ourselves with Him in Holy Communion. 
What greater consolation, what greater happiness 
can we enjoy in this vale of tears and plac« of 
exile, than to partake from time to time of this 
divine bancxuet, this heavenly manna, this spiritual 
bread of eternal life I 

Of all the spiritual exercises commanded by 
religion this is the most sahitary and consoling. In 
Holy Communion the afflicted and sorrowful find a 
Comforter ready at all hours to console them 
and to alleviate their grievances ; here the dis- 
tressed find a compassionate Father always ready 
to succor and relieve them ; here the sick and infirm 
find an omnipotent Physician, ready and Avilling to 
heal them ; here the needy and indigent meet a 
inost bountiful Benefactor and loving Friend, ready 
to receive their petitions and to grant their re- 
quests ; here, in short, the faithful in general find 
a resource in all their infirmities, a consolation 
and protection in all their wants and tribulations. 
'^Nothing," says St. Chrysostom, '^renders Chris- 
tians more formidable to the powers of hell, than 
frequent worthy Com muuioii/' Xothing contributes 
more effectually to put the devil to flight, to 
weaken concupiscence and to imprint a character 
of purity on the soul. It is a sovereign i^reservative 



ON HOLY COMMUNION. 163 

against mortal sin, a x)owerful antidote against 
venial sins and daily imperfections, as the Council 
of Trent teaches. It is a shield and armor that 
enables us to withstand the most violent assaults 
of temptation. 

But these blessed fruits and happy effects of Holy 
Communion appear only in souls who receive it 
after due preparation, or with the right dispo- 
sition. — The first and most necessary disposition 
of the soul is to be in the state of grace, obtained, 
if it be wanting, by a true repentance and sincere 
confession of our sins. 

The second disposition is, not only to be free 
from the guilt of all mortal sin, but to be free from 
the affection or inclination to all venial sins. By 
this is meant such a love for them, as makes a 
person not only to commit them often, but also 
prevents his endeavors to avoid them, and makes 
him so insensible of their malice as to regard them 
as little or nothing. Although the effects of venial 
sin do not render us absolutely unworthy, or the 
Communion sacrilegious, yet they diminish its 
fruits, and impede the full oj^eration of grace in 
our soul. 

The third disposition is to approach Holy Com- 
munion with a pure intention. For it is certain 
that an action however good in itself, may lose its 
value for the want of a good intention, and may 
even become evil and vicious, if the intention be 
such. This being true of all good actions whatso- 
ever, it is still more so of Holy Communion ; since 
it is a contempt of the greatness and sanctity of 
God to approach Him with any other motive or 



164 FIFTH DAY. 

intention than that of honoring and pleasing Him, 
and meriting His grace and favor. In receiving 
Holy Communion, therefore, our intention must 
always be wholly pure ; that is, our motive for so 
doing must be the honor and glory of God, and our 
own salvation. First, to serve and please God the 
more, and thereby to unite ourselves more intim- 
ately with Him, that He may remain in us, and we 
in Him. Secondly, to promote our own salvation 
by obtaining, through the means of Holy Com- 
munion, all those graces we stand in need of for the 
correction of our faults, to resist temptations, and 
to strengthen us in the practice of virtue. It is 
also good to add to this general intention a par- 
ticular one according to our necessities ; as, for 
instance, to obtain such and such particular graces, 
or to advance in some virtue. Hence we must not 
approach the holy table from any human motives, 
as for example, from a desire to appear j^ious ; nor 
from vanity, nor from human respect, lest we 
should, perhaps, displease any one, or because it 
is expected of us ; neither must weapproach merely 
from custom, or because it is our usual time to 
communicate. 

It is, alas, but too common that one or the other 
of these motives mixes itself with our otherwise 
pure intention in receiving Holy Communion. 

Now, in order to prepare ourselves for Holy Com- 
munion, the first thing we are to do after we have 
been at confession is to return to Almighty God 
our heartfelt thanks for the pardon of our sins. It 
certainly shows a great insensilnlity or ingratitude 
to make no return to Him Who has granted us so 



ON HOLY COMMUNION. 165 

great a favor. Then we should turn our mind and 
apply our whole thoughts to the great act we are 
about to perform — to make a worthy Communion. 
To do this, we are to endeavor to excite in ourselves 
actual devotion, and the most perfect we can, be- 
cause in this Most Holy Sacrament we receive more 
or less grace, in proi)ortion to the greater or less 
devotion with which we receive it. 

Then, when the time of our receiving draws near, 
we ought to endeavor, in great peace and calmness 
of mind, to increase our devotion, repeating acts of 
humility, love and desire, grounded in our own 
unworthiness, and excite in us a pious confidence in 
the power and goodness of our God, Who can make 
us worthy to receive Him. 

It is not uncommon to hear some persons apolo- 
gize for their neglect of Holy Communion by saying 
that they are not worthy to receive it, because they 
have not the perfection that is requisite. But if 
they wait until they are worthy — when shall they 
communicate ? Is not a deep sense of our own un- 
worthiness one of the dispositions that are necessary 
to a good Communion ? Is a person not to approach 
the fire because he is cold ? Is a man not to call a 
physician because he is sick 1 — St. Francis of Sales 
tells us that two classes of persons ought to com- 
municate often — the perfect and the imperfect : 
the former, because being well disposed, they 
wrong and prejudice their souls by keeping from 
the source of all perfection, and by depriving 
themselves of the signal blessings and manifold 
graces which are derived from it ; the latter, in 
order to obtain spiritual strength, to im]3rove in 
the love of God, and to learn to communicate well. 



166 FIFTH DAY. 

Come, then, and partake often of this delicious 
banquet of your Saviour's love ! Come to this great 
Supper and heavenly feast of the spotless Lamb! 
He calls you, He invites you, He solicits you in 
these affectionate words, ''Come to me, all you 
that labor, and are burdened, and I will refresh 
you.'' (Matth. XI. 28.) Come with an ardent 
desire of being united with Him. Come with spi- 
ritual hunger and thirst, and be refreshed. Come 
with great purity of conscience, clothed with the 
wedding garment of charity and the white robe of 
innocence, free from all stains of mortal sins ! Give 
your heart entirely to Him Who gives Himself 
entirely to you in this adorable Sacrament : united 
with Him on earth, you will be for ever united with 
Him in heaven. 



Evening Meditation. 

XXVI. 
On Heuveu. 

"Kye hath uot seen, uor ear heard, 
neither hath it entered into the heart 
of man, what things God hath pre- 
pared for them that love Him." — 

I. Cor. 11,9. 

It is certain that our imagination cannot be 
carried too high when we tliink or speak of that 
glorious heavenly palace, where the King of kings 
and the Lord of lords appears in His majesty, and 
discovers Himself in the fulness of His glory to the 
heavenly hosts and angelic choirs. The blessed 
there see God face to face, as He truly is in Him- 
self. *'We know that when He shall have come, 



ON HEAYEN. 167 

we shall be like to Him, since we shall see Him as 
He is/' (I John HI. 2.) — "We see now as 
through a glass darkly, but then face to face : we 
know now in part, then we shall know as we are 
known." (I Cor. XIII. 12.) The light of glory 
is a certain quality infused into the intellect by 
which it is made fit and able to see God. This light 
is only given to the blessed in heaven. 

As the knowledge and possession of the highest 
good is the essence of beatitude, the happiness of 
the saints consists in this clear vision of God and 
intimate, inseparable union with Him by which they 
enter into the fruition of what they love as the 
highest perfection, and are more sensible of His 
divine presence than we are oi the presence of 
those whom we look upon with our eyes. O 
happy souls! What can be wanting to satisfy 
their desires and complete their joy when they 
thus have within and without them all that is 
rich, grand and beautiful in creation, and behold its 
Divine Author face to face ? This, too, with an 
absolute certainty that it shall be as lasting as the 
endless eternity! Thousands of years pass away 
there like a day, and each day gives them the joy 
of a thousand years. 

Must we not be insensible to the last degree if 
we forfeit such unspeakable bliss for a sordid 
interest, for a vile pleasure in sin I Oh, let us re- 
member that we are created for a nobler end, born 
to higher hopes, and invited to a glorious state of 
immortality. Did we but make it our object to 
consider attentively what it is to dwell for ever in 
Heaven with God and His angels and saints, to 



168 FIFTH DAY. 

praise everlastiiigly the Father, the Son and the 
Holy Ghost, the Fountain of all goodness, to live 
in peri^etiial ecstacies and raptures of joy and love, 
such ]3ious reflections would make us blush at our 
past indifference, negligence and tepidity ; and 
cause a holy ardor to glow in our hearts. They 
would inspire us with vigor and activity in the 
service of God, sweeten every toil and labor, and 
make all trials and troubles easy for us, for every- 
thing appears light and pleasant to him who has 
Heaven with its endless and incomprehensible joys 
alwaj's in view. 

It was the blessed prospect of Heaven that sweet- 
ened the rigorous austerities, fasts and mortifi- 
cations of thousands of saints, and that turned the 
fire and sword of martyrdom into consolation for 
the martyrs. The hope of reigning eternally with 
Jesus Christ in Heaven sweetened the bitter chalice 
of their suffering ; it supported them in their severe 
trials, made every labor seem light, every pain 
easy, and rendered death, in its most terrifying 
shape, desirable and acceptable to them. 

Let us, then, take courage, and suffer with con- 
stancy for a little while, that we may be happy for 
ever with our God. Think of heaven! In the words 
of St. Francis, '^If the labor is hard, the reward is 
great." Man occupied with the things of earth is 
unwilling to look up, but willingly condemns him- 
self to be buried in the darkness of this world 
without the sunny rays of a comforting hope, a 
hope so beautiful that man's indifference to it is 
incomprehensible. ^Vhat is the reward 1 The per- 
fection of being, the being filled with the knowledge 



ON HEAVEN. 169 

of God, the eternal companionship of Mary and of 
the saints and angels! How can our hearts, natur- 
ally so covetous, be indifferent to such a i)rize ? — 
Think of heaven ! It is the rainbow of promise after 
the storm, the oasis in the desert, the rest for the 
weary traveller. Heaven! Do you understand 
what it is ! — The kingdom of God, the storehouse 
of His treasures ! We cannot conceive it, but we 
know that we possess three craving faculties, know- 
ledge, love and action, and that there alone they 
shall be satisfied. In Heaven alone we shall under- 
stand the decrees of Providence. Now we see only 
indistinctly the effects, then we shall understand 
cause and effect. What can rouse us from our 
insensibility, if this thought does not ? — If the 
labor deters us, let the great reward animate us. 
Let us remember that the labor is short, the re- 
compense eternal ; that Heaven is worth infinitely 
more than we are able to do or suffer for it. All 
our pretended difficulties and imaginary troubles 
will vanish if we keep present to our minds the 
thought of eternal glory. They that have attained 
Heaven were once men like ourselves, surrounded 
with as great, perhaps greater difficulties, subject to 
the same weakness, the same dangers, the same temp- 
tations. We have the same heli)s, the same hox3es, 
the same reward x)roposed. True, ^'the kingdom 
of Heaven suffereth violence" (Matth. XI. 12.), but 
we are not left alone ; the grace of God is offered 
to us, and enables us to triumi^h. If we only were 
to regulate our exertions for the attainment of 
Heaven by those which we exhibit in the pursuit of 
our worldly affairs — how confidently might we 



170 FIFTH DAY. 

look forward to the result ! Let us exert ourselves 
day by day to grow in virtue and grace, that we 
may at length attain to the beatific vision of Al- 
mighty God ! 

PEAYEE. 

O God of all goodness and all glory! Give me 
grace, I beseech Thee, to comply with the con- 
ditions on my part, in order to be entitled to eternal 
happiness. Strengthen my faith, increase my 
hope, inflame my charity, and grant me the gift of 
final perseverance, that beiug enriched with the 
treasures of Thy grace here, I may rejoice in the 
possession of Thy glory hereafter. Amen. 



Points of Meditation for Next Horning. 

XXVII. 

RecapitnLitioii. 

"Be glad and rejoice, for your re- 
ward is very great in heaven." — 

Matth. V. 12. 

1. Heaven is the place of God^s glory y and the 
home of the angels and saints. In Heaven, the 
Kingdom of God, the saints will enjoy perfect 
beatitude forever. Beatitude is a state of perfect 
happiness arising from the possession of the 
supreme good — God. ^'Tliis is eternal life, to 
know Thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, 
whom Thou hast sent.'' (John XVII. 3.) In 
heaven faith is consummated in sight; hope in 
possession, and love in fruition. 

2. Heaven is our eternal reward. In it, God Him- 
self is our 'reward exceeding great.'' (Gen. 



ON HEAVEN. 171 

XY. 1.) And in God we shall enjoy a beantj; a 
splendor and a magnificence in heaven, which no 
tongue can describe. St. Paul tells us that there 
are such transcendent glories there ^'as eye hath 
not seen"; such transports of pleasure ''as ear hath 
not heard"; such fulness of joys ^'as the heart of 
man cannot conceive." — ''Glorious things are said 
of thee, O city of God!" (Ps. LXXXVI. 3.) 

3. ^ ^ The kingdom of God suffereth violence.'''' Yet, 
though all the miseries and sufferings that ever 
befell the whole of mankind were centered in one 
person, if in the end he gains the glory of heaven, 
he must be pronounced happy. — Take a serious 
view of that mansion of bliss, and nothing will be 
able to shake your constancy, or prevail on you to 
depart from your duty. Raise your thoughts fre- 
quently above this world, and ascend in spirit into 
that Land of Promise, which Our Blessed Redeemer 
purchased for us at the expense of His Most Pre- 
cious Blood. 



172 



Sixth Day. 

Meditation during the Forenoon. 

XXVIII. 

On the Holj Sacrifice of the Mass. 

"Do this for a commemoration of me." — 
Luke XXII. 19. 

The Apostle reminds us, that ''Christ hath loved 
us and hath delivered Himself for us, an oblation 
and a sacrifice to God." (Ej^hes. Y. 2.) In the 
sacrifice of the cross He offered Himself np for us 
in a bloody manner ; in the holy sacrifice of the 
Mass He offers Himself uj) in an unbloody manner : 
so that the sacrifice of the Mass is one and the same 
in substance with the sacrifice of the cross, differing 
only in the manner of the offering. 

Briefly consider the dignity and sanctity of this 
sacrifice, and the manner of assisting thereat. 

To form some idea of the dignity and sanctity of 
Holy Mass, we need but consider the dignity of 
the victim that is offered, the sanctity of the High 
Priest Who offers it, a-ud the sacred mysteries of 
Our Saviour's passion and death which are repre- 
sented thereiq. 

The holy sacrifice of the Mass, in itself, and as 
offered by Jesus Christ, is always a most acceptable 
oblation in the sight of God, independent of the 
good or bad disi)Osition of the minister who per- 
forms the outward and visible part of its offering. 

The principal excellence of Holy Mass consists in 
its being essentially, and in the very highest de- 
gree, identical with the sacrifice which was offered 



ON THE HOLY SACRIFICE OF THE MASS. 173 

on the cross of Calvary. The sacrifice on Calvary 
was the instrument of redemption ; the sacrifice of 
the Mass puts us in its possession : the one threw 
open the treasury of the merits of Christ Our Lord ; 
the other affords the practical use of that treasury. 
And, therefore, observe that in Mass there is not 
made a mere representation, nor a simple com- 
memoration of the passion and death of our Our 
Divine Redeemer, but there is performed, in a 
certain true sense, the selfsame most holy act which 
was performed on Calvary. It may be said, with 
all truth, that in every Mass Our Eedeemer returns 
mystically to die for us, without really dying, at 
one and the same time really alive and as it were 
slain : ^'I saw a Lamb standing as it were slain. '^ 
(Apoc. Y. 6.) In Holy Mass there is made no 
simple representation of a bygone event, but the 
self- same sacrifice is unbloodily made which, with 
the shedding of the blood, was made upon the cross. 
That same body, that same blood, that same Jesus 
"Who then offered Himself upon Calvary, now offers 
Himself in Holy Mass. Oh most awful, solemn 
and stupendous sacrifice! 

In so great a sacrifice three things attract con- 
sideration : the Priest who offers, the Victim 
offered, and the majesty of Him to whom the 
offering is made. Now mark the marvellous gran- 
deur of Holy Mass, in virtue of each of these three 
considerations. 

The Priest Who offers is the Man-God Christ 
Jesus ; the Victim is the Life of God -, nor is it 
offered to any other than unto God. Eekindle, 
then, your faith, and recognize the true celebrant 



17i SIXTH DAY. 

to be not so much the human priest as the adorable 
person of Our Lord Jesus Christ. He is the 
primary offerer, not only because He has instituted 
this holj' sacrifice, and has given to it all its effi- 
cacy through His merits, but also because in each 
Mass He Himself deigns for our good to transub- 
stantiate the bread and wine into His most holy 
body and into His most precious blood. Behold, 
then, the chief est privilege of Holy Mass, to have 
for j)riest God made man ; and when you see the 
celebrant at the altar, know that his highest dignity 
consists in being the minister of that invisible and 
eternal Priest, Our Redeemer Himself. Hence it 
results that the sacrifice itself does not cease to be 
agreeable to God, although the priest who cele- 
brates may be wicked and sacrilegious, seeing that 
the principal offerer is Christ Our Lord, and the 
priest is His mere minister. Blessed, then, be God, 
Who has l>esto\ved on us a holy, a most holy Priest, 
AVho offers to the Eternal Father this divine 
sacrifice. 

In Holy Mass the Victim is God. For as it was 
Christ Who offered Himself, and Who was offered 
upon the cross, so in like manner it is Christ Who 
offers Himself and Who is offered on the altar by 
the hands of the officiating i)riest, who acts under 
Him as His visible substitute, and who, therefore, 
when he comes to the consecration, speaks and acts, 
not in his own name, or by his own authority, but 
in the name and person of Christ, saying, ''This is 
my body ; this is the chalice of my blood." The 
oblation that is here made, is also accompanied 
with a reaT change and destruction of the inward 



ON THE HOLY SACRIFICE OP THE MASS. 175 

substance of the bread and wine, and with a real 
presenting of the body and blood of Christ, our 
Victim, under appearances which denote His real 
death. 

Holy Mass is a sacrij^ce offered to God. The 
first obligation by which we are bound to God is to 
honor Him. By Holy Mass Almighty God is 
honored as He deserves, because He is honored by 
that God Himself, that is, by Jesus, Who placing 
Himself in the character of a Victim on the altar, with 
an act of inexplicable submission, adores the Most 
Holy Trinity, even as it is adorable, in such a 
manner that all other acts of homage, by all other 
beings, vanish before the face of this self-humili- 
ation of Jesus, as stars before the sun. Jesus, 
being not on^y man, but omnipotent God, by humi- 
liating Himself on the altar, offers in that act of 
humiliation to the Most Holy Trinity homage and 
honor infinite, so that we who join with Him in 
offering the great sacrifice attain, through Him, to 
the privilege of rendering an infinite homage and 
honor to God. 

Holy Mass is a most agreeable Holocaust, by 
which the most perfect homage is paid to God. For 
thoUgh, of ourselves, we are incapable of paying 
Him an homage proportionate to His greatness, we 
are, because Jesus Christ offers Himself for and 
with us, enabled to render unto God the greatest 
homage, adoration and glory that any creature can 
possibly give to his Creator. 

Holy Mass is a most agreeable sacrifice of thanks- 
giving, for though all the thanks we can render are 
inadequate in themselves as proceeding from us. 



176 SIXTH DAY. 

yet because Jesiis Christ, Whose dignity is infinite, 
puts Himself, in Mass, in our place, and gives 
infinite thanks to His Eternal Father for us and in 
cur name, we have a gift of infinite value to offer 
to God, and are thus enabled to make Him an 
adequate return for the benefits conferred on us. 

Holy Mass is a sacrifice of impetration. For 
though of ourselves we are undeserving of any 
favor, yet because Jesus Christ offers Himself up 
with us and for us, in order to obtain for us the 
favors and graces we stand in need/ of, we have 
here a most eflBcacious means to sanctify our peti- 
tions and render them acceptable in and through 
His merits. Therefore St. Chrysostom says, that 
of all times the time of the sacrifice of Mass is the 
most advantageous to implore the grace of God, 
because the body and the blood of Jesus Christ are 
then actually upon our altars, where His sacred 
blood pleads for us, the virtue of which is infinite, 
and its voice all-powerful to obtain whatever we 
desire ; for what can God refuse when we offer Him 
a God in return for what we ask ? — 

Holy Mass is a sacrifice of propitiation for the 
living and the dead. Here Christ renews the death 
He suffered on the cross, mystically indeed and in 
an unbloody manner, but none the less reallj', and 
thereby moves His Heavenly Father to have mercy 
on us and to receive us into favor, which He will 
never fail to do, when we accompany the Victim of 
our reconciliation with the inward sacrifice of a 
contrite and humble heart and a true repentance. 

By Holy Mass the graces which Christ merited 
for mankind by His death, are actually applied to 



ox THE HOLY SACEIFICE OF THE 3IASS. 177 

and particularly bestowed on the souLs of those 
who are present at this holy sacrifice, or for whom 
it is offered in particular, in such manner and x^ro- 
portion as their wants require, and as their greater 
or less dispositions make them capable of receiving. 
Well may we, therefore, kiss our altars, perfume 
them with incense, and, what is more, honor them 
with the utmost reverence and awe. 

Summing up all these singular benefits of Holy 
Mass, will we have a difficulty in believing that one 
single Mass — speaking of its intrinsic worth — is 
of such efficacy as, according to various learned 
and holy theologians, might have sufficed to obtain 
the salvation of the whole human race ? But this 
divine sacrifice avails not only for the living, but 
aJso for the dead. It is for them the great act of 
supplication for their liberation. O blessed Mass, 
at once assisting the living and the dead! In order, 
then, to be stirred to compassion for the souls in 
Purgatory, remember that the fire in which they 
suffer is, according to the opinion of St. Gregory 
the Great, no less painful than that of hell, differ- 
ing from it only in its limited duration. Still more, 
deprived as they are of the beatific vision of God, 
they experience, as St. Thomas says, an intense and 
vivid desire to behold the Supreme Good, and this 
is not permitted to them. Holy Mass relieves and 
releases these Suffering Souls : who could be so 
hard-hearted as not to apply its benefits to them ? 

Having thoroughly pondered the excellence of 
Holy Mass, wonder at the blindness in which you 
lived till now, having formed no right estimate of 
a treasure which has for you too much remained, 

12 



178 SIXTH DAY. 

as it were, hidden and buried. Judge for yourself 
how culpable you must be if you make vain ex- 
cuses to palliate your coldness and indifference 
towards it ; if you assist at it more from custom 
than from a true love of God and sincere devotion; 
if you even commit irreverences at the foot of the 
altar, and speak to God with as much carelessness 
and distraction as if you intended to affront Him ; 
if your chief prayer is for temj^oral blessings and 
not for your sx)iritual necessities ; if you are, 
instead of an humble petitioner, a frivolous spec- 
tator of this august mystery. 

The very nature of this holy sacrifice demands 
that we should assist at it with great reverence, 
attention and devotion. We should be present at 
it with the most exalted idea of tlie greatness of 
God, and with the most humble sentiments of our 
own weakness ; we should go to it as if we were 
going to the Mount of Calvary, to be present at the 
crucifixion and death of Our Lord. We should 
form a proper intention, and proi)ose to ourselves 
the same great ends for which this sacrifice was 
instituted and is offered every day by the Church, 
namely to honor, adore and glorify God ; to give 
Him thanks for all His favors and benefits ; to 
obtain from Jesus Christ the virtues, gifts and 
graces we stand in need of ; to api)ease the wrath 
of God, to supplicate for the pardon of our sins, 
and to renew the memory of Our Blessed Saviour's 
passion and death. 

Renew, then, the holy resolution to hear from 
this time forward, as many Masses as you possibly 
can, and, above all, with due devotion. 



ON THE EXERCISE OF THE PRESENCE OF GOD. 179 

Spiritual Reading. 

XXIX. 

On the Exercise of the Presence of God. 

According to the Apostle St. Paul it is the 
Christian's privilege to have his conversation in 
heaven : '■ 'Our conversation is in heaven. ' ' (Philip. 
III. 20.) This is, moreover, our duty; for as 
heaven is our end, we are bound to aspire to it. 
Among the many ways in which this privilege and 
duty can be exercised, the pious habit of always 
walking in the presence of God is one of the foremost. 

As this holy and practical exercise has immediate 
reference to God, it implies, in the first place, acts 
of those three theological virtues, which have God 
directly for their object. The presence of God, 
then, of which our belief in God's existence assures 
us, does not mean simply that God is always present 
with us ; but it means an act, on our part, by which 
we make ourselves mindful of that presence ; an 
act, by which we are present with Him in our 
thoughts and affections. We must take steps to- 
wards carrying out in reality what we admit in 
theory. 

What we must, therefore, habituate ourselves to 
do is, in every place, and in every action we are 
performing, to recognize God as being close to our 
side. ''Behold as the eyes of servants are on the 
hands of their masters, as the eyes of the handmaid 
are on the eyes of her mistress : so are our eyes 
unto the Lord our God until He have mercy on us." 
(Ps. CXXII. 2.) God is in reality closer to us 
than any other being; but our habitual fault is, 



ISO SIXTH DAY. 

that we allow creatures to intervene and to occupy 
the place which really belongs to God. How often 
may we not have reason to censure ourselves in 
the words of the patriarch Jacob, and say, ^'Indeed 
the Lord is in this place, and I knew it not." 
(Gen. XXYIII. 16.) In the spiritual world as in 
the material world a real void is not to be found. 
"When the creature is driven out, God is ready to 
enter in ; and He then occupies the place nearest 
to our heart, and we find ourselves at rest with 
Him. Thus we may practically carry out this holy 
exercise and make our conversation to be in heaven. 

This exercise has many and great advantages. 
The first advantage is, that such a practice duly 
persevered in will make sin an impossibility to us. 
For how could we dare to sin, when we are fully 
aware of the fact that God is present witnessing 
our action ? It is in order to sin more freely that 
the infidel denies in his heart the existence of the 
God Who is to judge him, and that he removes 
God from his sight and from his thoughts. But he 
that is wise does not attempt to close his eyes 
against a fact which cannot be denied, which is 
equally true whether it be remembered or forgotten. 
*'If you wish to sin,'' says St. Augustine, *'try to 
find out a place where God cannot see you, and 
there do what you will." But where can such a 
place be found ? 

A second advantage of the exercise of the presence 
of God is, that its recollection is s[ great encourage- 
ment under every temptation. As servants are 
most faithful and active in their work when their 
master's eye is upon them, so must we ever assure 
ourselves that in our labors and in the trials to 



ON THE EXERCISE OF THE PBESENCE OF GOD. 181 

^liicii our fidelity may be exposed we are not alone, 
but He for Whom we are laboring, and in Whose 
cause we are struggling is close at hand, ready to 
reward us if we persevere in our duty, but a witness 
to our disloyalty if we fall. 

Another great advantage of this holy exercise is, 
that it helps us most effectually in the duty of 
prayer. Prayer, of its very nature, implies an act 
in which we are conversing with God and are there- 
fore engaged in His presence. If we made it our 
study to think at all times of this holy presence, 
we should not find it such an effort to keep our 
thoughts fixed on God during prayer. The reason 
why our mind wanders so much is because we do 
not remember that God is with us and we with 
Him. Try to be more collected out of the time of 
prayer, and you are sure to be less distracted 
during it. 

Finally, the exercise of the presence of God gives 
us a foretaste of heaven. What constitutes the 
happiness of heaven is the presence of God in the 
kingdom of His glory. If we, by cultivating this 
exercise, live in His presence, is not our conversa- 
tion also in heaven ? Our life here below is intended 
by our good and merciful Creator to resemble our 
life in that happy eternity for which He has destined 
us. We are made to possess God hereafter, but He 
wishes us to possess Him also here below: now 
less perfectly, then more comi)letely, as we can see 
Him now in a dark manner, then face to face. It 
is in the exercise of the presence of God that we 
will in one way be anticipating our future privilege. 
By exercising and i)ersevering in it we will find out 
its many advantages and blessings. 



182 SIXTH DAY. 

Afternoon Conference. 

XXX. 

On Charity. 

"This is my commandment, that 
you love one another, as I have loved 
you.'' — John XV. 12. 

When Our Blessed Saviour came into this world, 
He found the virtue of charity very little practised 
among mankind ; even so that He ordered it as a 
neiy commandment : '^ A new commandment I give 
unto you: that you love one another, as I have 
loved you." (John XIH. 34.) 

Charity, or the love of our neighbor, comprises 
every duty relating to mankind, and consequently is 
an obligation so strict, that unless it is fulfilled, we 
cannot hope to enter heaven. To understand this, we 
must remember that we cannot attain eternal happi- 
ness without loving God above all things. This, how- 
ever, is not possible without loving our neighbor. 
*'If any man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, 
he is a liar. For he that loveth not his brother, 
whom he seeth, how can he love God whom he seeth 
not?" (I. John, IV. 20.) So that it follows, that 
if any man does not love his neighbor, he does not 
love God. But if, on the other hand, we do love 
our neighbor, the presumption is in our favor that 
we also love God ; for the love of God and the love 
of our neighbor are like two links of one chain, 
which are inseparably united, or like two streams 
which flow from the same scource. 

Were we to consider things in a temi^oral light, 
it would be very easy to show that nothing can be 
more profitable than the great law of charity. Did 



ON CHARITY. 183 

we all love our neighbor, who would ever think of 
offending, much less hurting or destroying his 
brother ^. Then the great would never abuse their 
power, nor the rich their wealth : envy and jealousy 
would depart from the world ; all mankind would 
live in union, in ]3eace, in possession of the essen- 
tial comforts of life. 

From these temporal considerations, let i^is now 
raise our thoughts to things of a more exalted 
nature — to the spiritual blessings that attend the 
practice of fraternal charity. 

The first of these blessings is the favor and 
friendship of God. St. John tells us, ^^If we love 
one another, God abideth in us, and His charity is 
perfected in us." (I John, lY. 12.) Nothing can 
be more comforting than this assurance of the 
apostle. St. Peter exhorts us, ^'But before all 
things have a constant mutual charity among your- 
selves: for charity CO vereth a multitude of sins." 
(I Pet. IV. 8.) Where is the man who is not 
conscious of having frequently offended God and 
being greatly in debt to His justice 1 One of the 
most effectual means of repairing these offences, is 
by loving our neighbor: ''To love one's neighbor 
as one's self, is a greater thing than all holocausts 
and sacrifices." (Mark XII. 33.) 

The second blessing resulting from true charity 
is, that if we love our neighbor as Christ commands, 
we will never, in any way, act inconsistent with 
God's law. We would consider every man as a 
member of Christ, and consequently would treat 
him with the sentiments he deserves in that char- 
acter. We would never do anything contrary to 



184 SIXTH DAY. 

the good of bis soul, for to do this would in reality 
be the expression of the most mortal hatred, as 
under the appearance of friendship, it brings about 
his eternal damnation. If we loved our neighbor 
from a motive of religion, we certainly would bear 
with all his weaknesses and imperfections; for 
''charity is patient, is kind." (I. Cor. XIII. 4.) 
Instead of tliis Christian meekness which the 
Apostle recommends, what do we generally see in 
the world ! — Selfishness, anger, quick temper 
ready to take fire at any moment. You cannot 
bear with your neighbor, nevertheless you require 
him to bear with you. "Bear ye one another's 
burdens," St. Paul exhorts us, "and so you shall 
fulfill the law of Christ." (Gal. YI. 2.) 

It is not enough to love our neighbor in principle ; 
our charity must be effectual and practical. Our 
Lord says, "Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thy- 
self.'^ (Matth. XIX. 19.) Nothing can be more 
sincere than the love we bear ourselves. It is 
discernable in every action of our life. Even when 
we do good to others — is it not generally our own 
private interest we seek ? This inclination to self- 
interest is so strong that it rules every affection of 
our mind, and seems to be interwoven with our 
very nature, insomuch that it is ourselves we love 
in reality at the very time we mean to testify our 
love towards others. ^ If, therefore, you pur^^ose to 
fulfill the law of charity, and love your neighbor 
as yourself, you must fulfill that other command- 
ment of Christ, "All things, therefore, whatever 
you would that men should do to you, do you also 
to them." (Matth. YII. 12.) We are bound not only 



ON CHAEITY. 185 

to wish our neighbor well, but also to procure him 
every advantage that lies in our power, and as often 
as he stands in need of our services ; as St. Augustine 
says, "We love our neighbors truly as ourselves, 
when we wish them the same advantages we wish 
unto ourselves, and procure them the same benefits 
we would willingly procure for ourselves." Two 
things api)ear from this : First, that in consequence 
of the great law of mutual charity we are obliged 
never to do harm to our neighbor ; and secondly, 
to do him all the good, to render him every service 
in our power, as often as occasion requires, although 
he were our mortal enemy. 

But among the blessings arising from this exercise 
of fraternal charity, none is so exalted and effectual, 
as the love of God in this life and the i^ossession of 
His kingdom in the life to come. Therefore we 
are bound to direct our chief endeavors to i^rocure 
for our neighbor this great, this unspeakable, this 
inestimable good . In virtue of this obligation we 
are bound to sacrifice every temporal interest, even 
our life, for our neighbor's salvation, when it 
depends thereon, as St. John says, "In this we 
have known the charity of God, because He hath 
laid down His life for us : and we ought to lay 
down our lives for the brethren." (I John III. 16.) 
Although the occasion of laying down our life for 
our brethren seldom occurs, yet we are bound to be 
inwardly disposed to do so, from a strong and well 
founded assurance that God will enable us to dis- 
charge our duty in this particular when the occa- 
sion offers. 

Is it not astonishing that persons who pretend to 



186 SIXTH DAY. 

fear aud love God, and to act on principles of 
conscience, should so frequently be guilty of sins 
against charity ? 

^^My little children,-' says St. John, "let us not 
love in word, nor in tongue, but in deed and in 
truth." (I John III. 18.)— Let us, then, love 
our brethren, love them without exception, in Christ, 
love them as ourselves, sincerely and effectually, 
thus fulfilling the command of Christ, and meriting 
eternal reward. 



Evening Meditation. 

XXXI. 

On the Sacred Heart of Jesus. 

"Look, and make it according to 
the pattern." — Exod. XXV. 40. 

Holy Church, through the means of her devotions, 
instructs the minds and moves the hearts of her 
children. To a faithful and ol)edient child of the 
Church it is quite a sufficient reason for the accept- 
ance of any devotion, that the Church recommends 
it and approves of it. It is in accordance with a 
Catholic instinct to embrace with ready and Cheerful 
welcome whatever is thus proposed to us. But 
she is not satisfied with this. She wishes us to 
understand as well as to be moved. 

When the Church, therefore, brings before us 
the Sacred Heart of Our Blessed Saviour as an 
object of devotion, she wishes us to think upon 
what that Heart did for us; she directs our atten- 
tion to His love for us, to that love which suggested 
the adorable sacrament of the Eucharist, and on 
the cross shed its last drop of blood for us. 



ON THE SACRED HEART OF JESUS. 187 

Turn for a moment your thouglits upon the 
passion of Our Lord, and you see all through its 
bitter course the influence and action of the Sacred 
Heart. Long before the time of sorrow arrived, He 
had been anticipating the event, and had desired it 
in His Heart. The prophet said of Him, '^He was 
offered because it was His own will. " (Isai. LHI. 7.) 
And we have His own assurance of the eagerness 
with which He was looking forward towards the 
time when He was to prove to the world how much 
He loved it ; for He said, speaking of His passion, 
^'I have a baptism wherewith I am to be baptized; 
and how am I straitened until it become accomp- 
lishedr' (Luke XII. 50.) And when the time for 
which He had been looking at last arrived, it was 
in His Sacred Heart that His suffering was first 
evinced. His agony in the garden of Gethsemani 
is its first act. And what does that agony imply ? 
He has not yet fallen into the power of His enemies, 
and no human hand has touched Him. The 
scourging, and the crowning with thorns, and the 
carrying of the cross, and the crucifixion have not 
yet taken place, but His Precious Blood begins to 
be shed. He rehearses in that hour of agony all 
the details of His passion, and His Sacred Heart 
breaks under the pressure which this anticipation 
makes to bear upon it. Great as were the physical 
sufferings to which He was subjected in the last 
hours of His life, they were nothing in comparison 
to the grief, the fear, the desolation and the anguish 
which reigned within Him. All this began in the 
garden ; it continued throughout ; it was at its 
utmost when He called out in a loud voice on the 



18S SIXTH DAY. 

cross, ''My God, my God, why hast Thou forsaken 
me?'' (Matth. XxVlI. 46.) And why all this? 
It was because He became man in order to redeem 
us from the punishment due to sin. It is the heart 
of man which takes delight in the commission 
of sin. And therefore Jesus willed that His own 
Sacred Heart should be the seat of His sufferings. 
The last act of His passion, too, concerns His 
Sacred Heart. For just l>efore He was taken down 
from the cross, His side is opened with the centu- 
rion's spear and from His wounded Heart pour 
forth the last drops of blood and water. Can we, 
then, pretend to value the passion of our most 
loving Redeemer, and not value especially the 
work done throughout its course by the Sacred 
Heart ? Well, therefore, might Our Lord, in His 
apparition to the Blessed Margaret Mary, point to 
His wounded Heart, and say, '^Behold my Heart, 
which is so euflamed with love for men." — If then, 
you value the passion of Our Lord, and if you love 
the Blessed Sacrament, cherish the devotion to the 
Sacred Heart. 

And what are the lessons which we ought to 
learn through the means of this loving devotion? 

Lore is the first lesson. This is the direct and 
immediate return that Jesus demands of us. The 
Sacred Heart of Jesus tells us of His love for us, 
and it is on this account that it appeals for the 
offering of the love of our own heart. For love 
always demands a return, and if it gain not that 
return it is unsatisfied and a source of pain to us 
rather than of joy and comfort. Your heart is 
wounded, and it feels the pain of the wound. So 



ON THE SACRED HEART OF JESUS. 189 

is the Sacred Heart of Our Lord always represented 
as wounded, not only because the spear pierced it, 
but because the coldness of man pierced it also. 
St. John, who was able to learn what was the love 
of Our Divine Saviour at its very source, argues 
with us and says, we should love God, '^because 
He hath first loved us, and sent His Son to be a 
propitiation for our sins." (I John IV. 10.) The 
Sacred Heart may certainly use this argument, 
and surely we cannot allow the appeal to be unan- 
swered. Our Blessed Lord has told us what is to 
be the measure of Our love for God : it must be the 
love of the whole heart. This was the measure of 
his love for us, for He gave His whole heart for 
the work of our redemi3tion. 

Generosity and a spirit of sacrifice are to be added 
to our love, for so the Sacred Heart teaches us. 
The love of that Heart was certainly not an inactive 
one ; it was not a- limited and sentimental love. 
What, again, does the wound it bears imply ? — 
When Blessed Margaret Mary saw Our Lord dis- 
playing His Heart before her, it appeared to her as 
if flames were proceeding from it. And well might 
flames issue from a furnace of love. The Sacred 
Heart was always, and always continues to be, a 
holocaust or whole-burnt offering to the Eternal 
Father, which He accepts from His well-beloved 
Son. Well may our generous Lord ask us what 
more He could have done for us, than He has 
done through the immensity of His love. Can 
we dare to ask the same question of Him? We 
have done so little; we are so ungenerous and 
timid in His service. We shrink from every 



190 SIXTH DAY. 

sacrifice, and fear to make an effort which costs us 
the least pain or self-denial. Devotion to the 
Sacred Heart is a great cure for tepidity. This is 
a chief cause why the Church wishes to propagate 
it, because she has already learned from a happy 
experience that they who practise it are roused 
from indolence and are excited to fervor. 

Humility and meekness are also taught us, as 
special lessons, by the Sacred Heart. ''Learn of 
me, because I am meek, and humble of Heart." 
(Matth. XI. 29.) Xor are these to be considered 
as speculative virtues, or as perfections only in 
those souls called to an exceptional degree of holi- 
ness. The want of these virtues, or the existence 
of contrary vices, is the cause of our sins in dealing 
with others. Pride, and a want of forbearance 
with others are the source of that want of charity 
which prevails so much in the world, and which 
even in those who pretend to be devout and con- 
scientious, is not unfrequentl}^ found to exist. Do 
our hearts bear any resemblance whatever to His, 
Who forgave His enemies. Who suffered and died 
for them, and Who gave us an example that we 
should do for others what His Heart moved Him 
to do for us? 

Zeal for souls is another lesson of the Sacred 
Heart. Why did that Heart suffer so much ? Kot 
for itself, but for the souls of men. ''Behold this 
Heart," Our Lord said, "which is so inflamed with 
love for men." And if we have no sympathy 
whatever for the spiritual good of others, no desire 
for the conversion of sinners, if we are unwilling to 
do anything to bring others to share in the spiritual 



ON THE SACKED HEART OF JESUS. 191 

blessings of whicli, through the immense mercy of 
God, we are partakers — where are our faith and love? 
If we hate sin because of the injury it offers to God, 
how can we quietly witness its influence over souls, 
and do nothing to diminish that influence, and to 
shield the glory of God ! — When the Sacred Heart 
of our agonizing Saviour suffered in the garden of 
Gethsemani, it was oppressed by the view of so 
many souls being lost through sin. Our souls 
ought to share in the sorrow and in the prayer of 
our loving Eedeemer in behalf of sinful souls. 

One more lesson we learn from this fertile source 
of instruction, and that is the salutary lesson of 
fervor in prayer. How fervent and persevering was 
that sad hour's prayer in the garden! How cold 
and how short and easily broken off are our prayers ! 
And why so? Because our heart is so little in our 
work, and our treasure is elsewhere. In the lives 
of the saints who have been eminent for prayer, we 
find how their hearts were affected in that holy 
exercise. It is recorded of St. Catharine of Siena 
that Our Lord appeared to her on one occasion 
when she was in prayer, took away her heart and 
placed His own within her breast. Well known is 
the instance of St. Philip Neri who, from the 
violent action of his heart in prayer, suffered a 
physical result which was externally visible, and 
of St. Francis Xavier, who used sometimes to feel 
his heart so overflowing with the delights with 
whieh God visited him, that he used to exclaim, 
' 'Enough, O Lord, enough ! " The love of St. Francis 
of Assisi was so great, that he was distinguished 
by the marks of the wounds of Our Lord; his 



192 SIXTH DAY. 

heart, ]ike that of his crucified Love, was pierced 
— more indeed by the force of his compassion, than 
by the wound imi^rinted by the seraph. 

To some these may seem exaggerated and over- 
drawn facts ; but if we knew more of the lessons of 
the Sacred Heart, probably they would seem less 
strange and unlikely. This is certain, that we 
have to deal with the same loving God as the saints 
had, and can learn from the same source how to 
pray and how to love. And although hitherto we 
may have done but little towards arriving at a 
closer union with God, let us now, at least, exclaim 
with St. Augustine, ^^Too late have I learned to 
love Thee, OLord!'^ 

The ejaculation especially addressed to this 
source of h>ve tells us what is the immediate blessing 
we ask for through this devotion : 

"O Sacred Heart of Jesus, I implore 

That I mav ever love Thee more and more ! " 



Points of Meditation for next Morning. 

XXXII. 

Becapifulation. 

"I am come to cast fire on the 
"~ earth, and what will I but that it be 

kindled?" — Luke XII. 49. 

1. Hie lessons of the Sacred Heart urge us to 
imitation. — Consider attentively, that your repug- 
nance to sacrifices for Our Lord is a sign of your 
little love for Him. What other reason is there 
why it costs you so much to subdue a resentment, 
an affection, a dislike! — Do at least this much: 
begin to sacrifice yourself, in order to learn to love 
Him. 



ox THE SACKED HEAET OF JESUS. 193 

2. Every little sacrifice produces a new degree of 
love in us. — Our Lord never retracted in the least 
part the entire sacrifice He has made of Himself ; 
on the contrary, every time that He renews His 
sacrifice in Holy Mass, He renews the complete 
surrender He has made of Himself. Why do you 
make so little progress in virtue? You began, but 
discontinued to make sacrifices for Him. Do you 
recollect those resolutions of a recollected, obedient, 
patient life! As long as you put them in practice, 
your love for Jesus increased day by day ; and as 
soon as you grew negligent, your heart grew cold. 
It is, then, in your own interest, to keep the fire of 
divine love aglow in your heart by daily little 
sacrifices. 

3. Compare the virtues of the Sacred Heart with 
your own tepidity. — You are one of those cold souls, 
so reserved with the Heart of this loving God. 
Have you ever well i3ondered the examj)les of 
virtue which it gave you*? — "What do you think, 
now that you know them? — What do you think of 
yourself ! — O Heart of my Saviour, why have I 
not known Thee before % Because I was so reserved, 
so timid, so diffident in my prayers to Thee, in 
meditating on Thee, in following Thee, I am so 
destitute of virtue. 

"O Sacred Heart of Jesus, I implore 

That I may ever love Thee miore and m,cre !" 



l.s 



194 

Seventh Day. 

Heditation during the Forenoon. 
XXXIII. 
On Prayer. 

"The prayer of him that humbleth 
himself shall pierce the clouds,'' — 
Eccl. XXV. 31. 

Our manifold necessities, both spiritual and tem- 
poral; the depravity and infirmities of our nature, 
the various dangers to which we are constantly ex- 
posed, our inability to do the least good of our- 
selves, the frequent temptations of the devil, the 
world and the flesh, which we have to combat and 
overcome — all these are convincing i^ioofs of the 
indispensable obligation and absolute necessity of 
prayer. ''Watch ye, and pray," says Our Lord, 
'that ye enter not into temi^tation." (Matth. 
XXVI. 41.) St. Paul exhorts us to ''pray without 
ceasing" (I Thess. V. 17.), as we are always in 
need of help. Xot that the Apostle means that we 
should be incessantly on our knees, or actually 
thinking of God, as this would be incompatible 
with our weakness and the requirements of our 
daily duties ; but that we are always to walk in the 
presence of God, to raise our hearts frequently to 
Him, and to offer up all our actions to His honor 
and glory. 

Prayer is the ordinary means appointed by God, 
and required as a condition on our part, for obtain- 
ing the helps and graces necessary for salvation. 
It differs from the other means of salvation in this, 
that its want cannot be supplied ])y anything else. 



ON PRAYER. 195 

The want of actual baptism may be supplied by 
martyrdom or desire ; the want of the sacrament 
of Penance may be supplied by perfect contrition ; 
those who are unable to fast or practise the rigorous 
austerities of self-denial and mortifications may 
supply the want of them by alms-deeds ; and the 
poor have it in their power to supply their want of 
alms-deeds by bearing their afflictions and trials 
with patience and resignation : but the want of 
prayer can be supplied by nothing else ; so that if 
it be neglected, the graces annexed and promised 
to it will not be bestowed — for the reason, because 
they are not asked, as St. James observes, ' 'You 
have not, because you ask not." (James IV. 2.) 

The grace of prayer is never wanting to us. God 
bestows it upon all men as the first step towards 
their salvation, moving them to have recourse to 
Him, and giving them the ability to pray, so that 
if we neglect prayer, we may justly blame ourselves 
for all the fatal consequences. 

Prayer is founded upon faith and hope, and im- 
plies the most perfect acts of religion. The idea of 
prayer is not to be confined to petition only, as 
those seem to imagine who appear in the divine 
presence only with hands lifted up to receive 
favors. They call upon God to represent to Him 
their wants, and have a heart but to wish, and a 
tongue but to ask ; they are fervent and eloquent 
in petitioning, but cool, negligent and deficient in 
praising and thanking God for benefits received. 
It is therefore to be remarked, that prayer is an 
elevation of the mind and heart to God. As this 
elevation may be made in five different ways, there 



196 SEVENTH DAY. 

are five different kinds of prayer, namely, medi- 
tation, oblation, thanksgiving, petition and ado- 
ration. These acts, again, may be performed 
internally or externally, either in private or in 
public ; for which reason prayer is also divided 
into mental and vocal, public and private prayer. 

Mental or internal prayer, otherwise called medi- 
tation, is performed in the mind, without being 
expressed in words. Vocal prayer is performed 
by uttering our sentiments in words. A daily 
meditation is strongly recommended as one of the 
most effectual means to improve in the love of 
God, and to advance in virtue. It is to the neglect 
of it that Holy Scripture attributes all disorders of 
mankind: ^ 'With desolation is all the land made 
desolate, because there is none that considereth in 
the heart." (Jerem. XII. 11.) 

Public or common prayer is that which the faith- 
ful, united together in a bodj^, offer up in public 
worship in church, or which a whole familj^, or a 
numl)er of devout Christians, assembled at home 
or in an oratory, offers up together. Our Blessed 
Saviour teaches us, in the Lord's Prayer, to pray 
as if many were assembled together, and He assures 
us, ''that where there are two or three gathered 
together in my name, there I am in the midst of 
them." (Matth. XVIII. 20.) 

After these preliminary remarks, consider the 
qualities and conditions of prayer. 

St. Gregory says, ''If we are willing that God 
should hear us in our prayers, we must hear Him 
in our hearts." To gain all the advantages of 
prayer, it should be performed in the state of 



ON PRAYER. 197 

grace ; for St. James tells us that ^ ^the prayer of 
the just man availeth much." (James V. 16.) 
However, if a person be so unhappy as to be in 
mortal sin, he is not therefore to neglect prayer ; 
since the more sinful he is, the more he stands in 
need of it, and the more diligent he should be in 
praying for the grace of a true conversion, and im- 
ploring the mercy of God. Prayer, accompanied 
with a sincere purpose of amendment, is his only 
resource ; and the example of the humble publican 
and the prodigal son should be an encouragement 
to him, as they show how ready the Lord is to hear 
the prayers of the greatest sinners, when they re- 
turn to Him in the sincerity of their hearts and 
invoke His mercy and justice. 

Attention is the spirit and soul of prayer, and if 
it be wanting, prayer is defective in its very sub- 
stance, it being essentially a raising of the mind 
and heart to God. Let the lips and the tongue, 
then, be ever so busily employed, unless our heart 
and thoughts be fixed on God, it is only praying 
in outward appearance, and not in reality ; it is only 
praying like the pharisees, of whom Our Lord 
complained, '^This peoi^le honoreth me with their 
lips, but their heart is far from me." (Matth. 
XY. 8.) How can such persons expect to be 
heard by God, when they themselves pay no at- 
tention to what they pray for ! Is it not dishonoring 
God to address His divine Majesty with such dis- 
respect, such indifference, and pretend to manifest 
to Him the desires of the heart, when the heart is 
in no way concerned nor has any sincere or earnest 
desire of obtaining what the words express, but is 



198 SEVENTH DAY. 

wandering on worldly subjects, and is oeeuxiied 
with willful distractions ? It is necessary to re- 
collect ourselves, to kee^) a close guard over our 
mind and heart when we go to prayer. AYe should 
prepare our souls for appearing in the divine pres- 
ence with due respect, according to the admonition 
of the Holy Ghost, ^'Before prayer i)repaie thy 
soul, and be not as a man that tempteth God.'^ 
(Eccli. XVIII. 23.) This prej^aration consists in 
calling to mind the presence of God, in keeping a 
lively sense of it during prayer, and in directing 
our attention to a good end. 

Humility is another condition of good prayer. 
We must beware of following the example of the 
proud pharisee, who confided in his own justice, 
dei^ended on his own merits, and presumptuously 
imagined that he was worthy that his prayers 
should be heard. Far from entertaining such pre- 
sumptuous ideas, we are to renounce all self-con- 
fidence, and throw ourselves entirely on the mercy 
and goodness of God ; we are to prostrate ourselves 
like the publican, Avith a deep sense of our guilt, 
at the feet of our offended Lord. We are to lay 
open to His eyes all the wounds of our soul, that 
tliey may be healed. We are to represent all our 
Avants and necessities to Him, and fervently pray 
for relief with a sincere desire and wish to obtain 
it. We are to acknowledge ourselves unworthy 
not only to obtain the mercy we implore, but even 
to lift up our eyes, or to appear and speak in the 
presence of God's majesty. 

The next condition that must accompany our 
prayer is a lively and unshaken faith, or firm con- 



ON PEAYER. 199 

fideuce iiud trust in God's boundless power, good- 
ness and mere}'. TMs condition is so necessary, 
that St. Augustine says, ^'If faith be wanting, 
prayer is lost." Diffidence and despondency make 
a person unworthy of God's favors; it binds His 
hands, and shuts up the course of His grace. Hence 
St. James asks us to ^'ask in faith, nothing waver- 
ing." (James T. 6.) 

Another condition of prayer is, to present our 
petitions in the name of Jesus Christ, Who assured 
us that ^ ^whatever you shall ask the Father in my 
name, that will I do." (John XIV. 13.) He 
is the Mediator of our redemption : He is our 
Advocate and our Highj^riest ; and ^ 'there is no 
other name under heaven given to men, whereby 
they must be saved." (Acts IV. 12.) He has 
j)urchased for us the grace which we pray for, and 
it is through Him that we are to ''go with con- 
fidence to the throne of grace, that we may obtain 
mercy, and find grace in seasonable aid." (Hebr. 
IV. 16.) His infinite merits are the foundation in 
which we are to ground our hopes. But temporal 
blessings, which are liable to be abused, should not 
be prayed for otherwise than conditionally, if the 
Lord see that they are conducive to His own honor, 
and expedient for the salvation of our souls. AVe 
ought to make His holy will the sole rule and 
measure of all our desires. 

Perseverance is the last condition of a good 
prayer ; for as it is the crown of virtue, so it gives 
to prayer its efficacy. If God sometimes defers 
granting our requests, it is, to make us sensible of 
the value of His gifts, to try our fidelity and sub- 



200 SEVENTH DAY. 

mission, to reward our patience, to make us re- 
double our fervor and continue striking at the gate 
of mercy until it is opened. Those who put their 
trust in Him, and pray with the necessary dispo- 
sitions, are never confounded, but are sure, sooner 
or later, to receive the effects of His goodness ; so 
that if our prayers in general often prove fruitless 
and ineffectual, it is our own fault. It is because 
they are defective in some respect ; it is because 
they are not duly performed, or want in the proper 
qualities and conditions ; it is because we pray for 
things that are inexpedient or prejudicial to our 
salvation ; it is because we render ourselves un- 
worthy of receiving what we ask for ; it is, in a 
word, because we do not pray for what we ought, 
nor in the manner how we ought, according to the 
words, '^You ask, and receive not, because you ask 
amiss.'' (James lY. 3.) 

Resolve, then, to commence here on earth by 
fervent prayer that intercourse with God, which is 
to form our perpetual happiness in heaven. 

PRAYER. 

O Merciful Jesus ! Youchsafe to pour forth into 
my heart the true spirit of prayer, and grant that 
I may perform this heavenly exercise in a manner 
acceptable to Thee. Give me the spirit of fervor 
and devotion, that my i)rayers may find acceptance 
in Thy sight on earth, and may ]>e continued for- 
ever in Thy praise in heaven. Amen. 



ON THE GOOD USE OF TIME. 201 

Spiritual Reading. 

XXXIV. 

On the Good Use of Time. 

It is not enough to refrain from evil, but we 
must also devote our time to the fulfilment of our 
duties. The Gosi)el gives us to understand that on 
the day of judgment we shall be held accountable 
for every idle word we speak, and consequently for 
every idle hour misspent. Again, we read in the 
Gospel, that the slothful and unprofitable servant 
was cast into extreme darkness, where there is 
weeping and gnashing of teeth, simply because he 
was indolent and slothful, and buried his talent in 
the ground, instead of improving and turning it to 
some advantage. This plainly shows how offensive 
to God an idle, careless and inactive life is, and 
how necessary it is to improve the time God has 
given us. 

It is our duty to consecrate every moment of 
time to God by emj)loying it in a manner worthy of 
His divine acceptance. To excite us to the per- 
formance of this duty. Holy Scripture exposes to 
our view the most pressing motives by teaching us 
that time is short and uncertain ; that the time that 
is once lost never returns ; that it is granted to us 
by the mercy of God to be so disposed and sancti- 
fied as to purchase for us eternal glory ; that time 
is not so much to be computed by the number of 
years of which it is composed, as by the benefit 
and good use made of it ; that we ought to endeavor 
to redeem the misspent time by applying ourselves 
with greater fervor and assiduity to the practice of 



202 SEVENTH DAY. 

good works before the dark and fatal night of death 
overtakes us ; in short, that all the time which is 
not well emi^loyed is idle time, time thrown away ; 
and as the loss is irreparable, it can never be suffi- 
ciently regretted. 

It is not the number of years we have lived, but 
the number of good works we have done, that will 
be regarded on the day of judgment. This is the 
rule by which our days are reckoned; this is the 
way to arrive at an honorable and respectable old 
age in a short time ; for as the Holy Ghost teaches 
us, venerable old age is not to be computed by the 
number of years that a man lives on earth but by 
the number of good works he performs in a life- 
time. *'A spotless life is old age." (Wisd. IV. 0.) 
The just man, who in a short tiuie attains to 
a state of perfection, is said to fill up much age 
in a short space of time. ''Being made i)erfect in 
a short space, he fulfilled a long time." (lb. 13.) 

If we proceed according to this rule, what a con- 
siderable part of our natural life shall we find de- 
ducted as having produced no fruits conducive to 
life everlasting ? Oh, what an afflicting reflection 
will it be for us at the hour of death when, standing 
on the verge of eternity, we look back and consider 
the ill use we have made of our time ! Few are now 
truly sensible of the greatness of their loss, but 
then they shall l>e convinced how valuable time is, 
and what treasures are lost by idleness. This made 
St. Bernard say, though nothing seems to be less 
valued or esteemed by the generality of mankind 
than time, yet nothing is more precious or more 
estimable, since there is not a day or an hour of 



ON THE GOOD USE OF TI3IE. 203 

our life but we might purchase an infinite trea- 
sure and entitle ourselves to an increase of God's 
grace here, and to an immortal crown of glory 
hereafter. 

How precious will a life well employed and 
sanctified be in the sight of God, and what a con- 
solation will it be to us at our dying moments! 
Let us, then, be wise in future : let us employ well 
our precious time in doing good works, in avoiding 
sin, and working out our salvation. Let us watch, 
and seize every moment as it flies, and carefully 
improve it, ever remembering that the night is 
coming on, in which no man can work. 

It is a great rule for virtue and a good life, to 
consider every day as the last. Many have admired 
this rule ; many have adopted it in theory ; but 
few have long adhered to it in practice. The 
example of the saints, however, shows that it is 
practicable. Make it, then, your rnle. Consider 
every day as your last : it will come in the end. 
Thus you will be enabled to look on your past life 
with satisfaction, and at the appointed hour you 
will easily and confidently make your transition to 
that eternity, to which time is but the preparation 
and introduction. ''Therefore, whilst we have 
time, let us work good.'' (Gal. VI. 10.) 



204 SEVENTH DAY. 

Afternoon Conference. 

XXXY. 

On Self-Denial. 

"I chastise mj' body, and bring it 
into subjection." — I. Cor. IX. 27. 

Self-denial is a duty. '^If any man will come 
after me, let him deny himself.'' (Matth. XYI. 24.) 
''And whosoever doth not carry his cross and 
come after me, cannot be my disciple." (Luke 
XIY. 27.) Self-denial, moreover, is a daily duty, 
''And He said to all : If any man will come after 
me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross 
daily, and follow me." (Luke IX. 23.) 

The early Christians went through self-denials in 
their very profession of the Gosi>el : what are our 
self-denials ? In what sense do ?re fulfill the words 
of Christ 1 Have we any distinct notions of what 
is meant by the words "taking up our cross ?" 

In answering these questions observe, first of all, 
that according to Holy Scrii^ture, our self-denial 
must be daily. "Let him deny himself, and take 
up his cross daily,''' is the manner in which St. 
Luke records the words. Accordingly, self-denial 
consists not in a few occasional efforts, a few acci- 
dental good deeds, or certain seasons of repentance 
and prayer — a mistake, which minds of a certain 
class are very apt to fall into. Again, the word 
daily implies, that the self-denial which is pleasing 
to Christ, consists in little things. — This is plain : 
for opportunities of great self-denial do not come 
every day. To take up the cross of Christ is no 
great action done once for all ; it consists in the 



ON SELF-DENIAL. 205 

continual practice of small duties which are dis- 
tasteful to us. 

Our self-denial must show itself, above all, in 
the mortification of our evil inclinations. Every 
one who is at all in the habit of examining himself, 
must be conscious of such within him. Many have 
more than one, all of us have some one or other, 
and in resisting and overcoming such, self-denial 
has its first employment. One man is indolent 
and fond of amusement ; another is passionate or 
ill-tempered ; another is vain ; another has little 
control over his tongue ; others are weak and can- 
not resist the ridicule of thoughtless companions ,• 
others are tormented with evil thoughts. — Now, 
let every one consider what his weak point is : in 
that is his self-denial. His self-denial is not in 
those things that are easy to him, but in that one 
thing, in those several things, whatever they are, 
in which he does his duty against his nature. !N"ever 
think yourself safe because you do your duty in 
ninety-nine points ; it is the hundredth which must 
evidence, or rather instance and realize your 
following of Christ. It is in reference to this you 
must watch and pray — pray continually for God's 
grace to help you, and watch with fear and 
trembling lest you fall. Others may not know 
what these weak points of your character are ; they 
may mistake them. But you should know them — 
and oh, that you may have strength to wrestle with 
them and overcome them ! Oh, that you may have 
wisdom to care little for the praise you get from 
the world! Oh, that you may, as it were, sweep 
the house diligently to discover what you lack of 



206 SEVENTH DAY. 

tlie full measure of obedience to the demands of 
duty! For be quite sure that this apparently small 
defect will influence your whole spirit and judg- 
ment in all things. Be quite sure that your judg- 
ment of persons, and of events, and of actions, and 
your spirit towards God and man, and your know- 
ledge of your duty — all depend in a strange way 
on this strict endeavor to deny yourself in little 
things. 

But besides these, there are other modes of self- 
denial. It may so hapi^en, that the sin you are most 
liable to is not called forth every day . For instance : 
anger and passion are irresistible when they come 
upon you, but it is only at times you are provoked, 
and then you are off your guard, so that the occa- 
sion is over, and you have failed, before you were 
well aware of its coming. It is right then, for you 
to find out daily self-denials ; and this because Our 
Lord bids you to take ui^ your cross daily, and 
because it proves your earnestness, and because by 
so doing you strengthen your general power of 
self-mastery, and come to have such an habitual 
command of yourself as will be a defence ready pre- 
pared when the storm of temptation comes. Rise 
up, then, every morning with the j^urpose that, 
please God, the day shall not pass without its self- 
denial, without a self-denial in innocent pleasures 
and tastes, if none occurs to mortify sin. Let your 
very rising from your bed be a self-denial ; let your 
meals be self-denials. Determine to yield to others 
in things indifferent, to go out of your way in 
small matters, to inconvenience youiself, if no 
direct duty suffers by it, rather than you should 



ON SELF-DENIAL. 207 

nofc meet your daily discipline. This was the 
Psalmist's method who, as it were, felt upon him- 
self day and night the hand of the Lord. (Ps. 
XXXI. 4.) It was St. Paul's method, who * ^chas- 
tised his body, and brought it into subjection." 
(I Cor. IX. 27.) This is one great end of fasting. 

To know whether you are in earnest concerning 
your salvation, make some sacrifice, do some dis- 
tasteful thing which you are not actually obliged 
to do (so that it be lawful), in order to bring home 
to your mind that in fact you do love your Saviour, 
that you do hate sin, that you do hate your sinful 
nature, that you have put aside the world. Thus 
you will have an evidence, to a certain point, that in 
forming your resolutions you are not merely using 
words. It is easy to say fine things, to express 
sentiments which rise above human nature, but 
quite another thing to reduce them to practice. 
'^But thou, O man of God, fly these things, and 
pursue justice, godliness, faith, charity, patience, 
mildness." (I Tim. YI. 11.) Let not your words 
run on ; force every one of them into action. Try 
yourself daily in little deeds; this is the way to 
keep your heart awake, and to prepare yourself for 
great things. 

True, this is difficult ; difficult even to those who 
see the necessity of self-denial. There are such 
imperfections, such inconsistencies in our heart 
and life, that continual repentance must ever go 
hand in hand with our efforts. Much we need the 
grace of Christ's Most Precious Blood to wash from 
ns the guilt we daily incur. Much we need the 
aid of His Holy Spirit. And surely He will grant 



208 SEVENTH DAY. 

US the riches of His mercy if we try io be His 
faithful servants ; but as surely He will vouchsafe 
to none of us the blessedness of being one with 
Him, if we are not in earnest in following Him. 



Evening Meditation. 

XXXYI. 

On DeTotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary, 

"Hail, full of grace!" — 

IvUke I. 28. 

Theologians and masters of the spiritual life do 
not hesitate to reckon among the signs of predesti- 
nation a filial confidence in and devotion to the 
Blessed Virgin and Mother of God, Mary. In this 
they are fully supported by the Church, who 
teaches us to pray, ^'Holy Mary, Mother of God, 
i:)ray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our 
death." 

We pray thus, and do so with confidence, be- 
cause, although Mary is not the author of grace, 
God will never refuse the prayer of His Mother. 
Christ Himself recommended devotion to Mary, 
from the pulpit of the cross by saying to her, ^^ Be- 
hold thy son!" referring to the apostle St. John; 
and to St. John, '^Behold thy Mother!" For, as 
He was pleased, in His great mercy, to raise us to 
the dignity of being the adopted children of His 
Heavenly Father, His own brethren and co-heirs 
of His kingdom : so, by addressing the Blessed 
Virgin in these words, ^^ Behold thy son," He con- 
stituted, in the person of St. John, all the faithful, 
who were represented by him, the spiritual children 



ON DEVOTION TO THE B. VIRGIN MARY. 209 

of this His Mother, and placed them under her 
patronage and protection, that she might look upon 
them with the tenderness and affection of her im- 
maculate heart. And again, by saying to St. John, 
and in his person to us, ^'Behold thy Mother,'' He 
gave him and us to understand that He appointed 
the riessed Virgin the spiritual Mother of all the 
faithful. As such, we are to honor and venerate 
her for His sake with all filial piety, respect and 
devotion. 

Hence we delight to greet her in the words of 
Gabriel, the heavenly messenger, ^^Hail, Mary, full 
of grace, the Lord is with thee! " We join with St. 
Elizabeth, the holy mother of St. John the Baptist, 
and say, ^ ^Blessed art thou among women, and 
blessed is the fruit of thy womb." "With the angel 
and with St. Elizabeth we glorify God Himself in the 
person of Mary. We honor and invoke Mary, be- 
cause such is the will of God, Who rendered her 
worthy of all honor and elevated her to her super- 
eminent dignity. We honor and invoke Mary 
because we wish to walk in the footstej)s of the 
saints, and because the saints never ceased and 
never will cease to honor and glorify the holy 
Mother of God. We honor and invoke Mary be- 
cause her intercession is most j)Owerful with God. 
And to this latter point let us now devote our 
attention. 

Have you never, when meditating on the exalted 
dignity of Mary — have you never, when reciting 
the Angelic Salutation, found the still, small voice 
of conscience pressing upon you the feeling, ''Have 
confidence in Mary V She who was blessed beyond 

14 



210 SEVENTH DAY. 

all women, she who gave to the world its Saviour, 
would bring salvation also to you. St. Anselm 
does not hesitate to assert, that she is the only dis- 
penser of the grace of Jesus Christ ; others call her 
the indispensible mediatrix of our salvation. 

Hence arises in the minds of all Christians, in 
whom the seed of true piety has not been choked 
by infidelity or early prejudice that lively confi- 
dence in the protection of the Blessed Virgin, 
which promx)ts every one of them to invoke her in 
his dangers and necessities. It is to Mary that 
sinners have recourse to obtain their reconciliation 
with God; the just to secure to themselves the 
grace of perseverance ; the weak to be strengthened 
in their perils and temptations ; the afiiicted to 
find comfort in their relief and their pains. After 
the saving name of Jesus, the holy name of Mary 
is the dearest to the hearts of the faithful, as being 
their safeguard against all the attacks of their 
visible and invisible enemies, their support during 
life and at the hour of death, their consolation in 
time and the foundation of their hope for eternity. 

What a subject for exultation that such an in- 
estimable treasure Avas given to us! With what 
care should we not foster devotion to Mary in our 
hearts, improve it by nuitual edification and trans- 
mit it by example and instruction to others ! With 
what readiness should we not avail ourselves of 
such a i^owerful help for the working out and 
securing our eternal salvation ! 

Not that devotion to Mary, without our personal 
efforts, will sanctify and save our souls ; but it will 
powerfully assist us in doing the other things re- 



ON DEVOTION TO THE B. VIRGIN MARY. 211 

quired of us to be saved ; not that this pure Virgin 
will ever favor such who under pretense of some 
exterior practices of piety towards her, purpose to 
continue in their sins and evil course with im- 
punity. The only condition upon which Mary will 
grant us the support of her powerful intercession 
is the desire to love what she loved, to do what she 
did, and thus prove ourselves her worthy children. 
If you desire that your prayers should be agreeable 
to her, and that she should love aud protect you, 
resolve at once to imitate her exami)le. Imitate 
her purity, her humility, her resignation to the 
will of God, her love of God and her charity. If we 
beg her prayers in humble confidence, and with a 
sincere desire and intention of amending our lives 
and improving in virtue, of serving God with 
greater fidelity, we may rest assured of her ma- 
ternal protection. 

Let us, then, redouble our confidence, affection 
and devotion to this charitable advocate and tender 
Mother, and we will experience more and more 
how sweet, how consoling, how efficacious to obtain 
all graces is her powerful intercession and as- 
sistance. St. Bernard says in this regard, '^Let only 
him be silent of thy mercy, O Blessed Virgin, who 
having called on thee in his necessities, was ever 
refused thy aid." The holy doctors SS. Augustine, 
Chrysostom, Ambrose and Jerome were faithful in 
honoring the Blessed Virgin, and attained, through 
her intercession, not only great holiness of life, but 
most astonishing learning. The Church salutes 
her as the ''Star of the sea", leading by its light 
all that are tossed on the stormy waves of this life, 



212 SEVENTH DAY. 

that they may not be shipwrecked, but rise again, 
even if they have fallen, by true penance, and 
arrive safely in the port of salvation. St. Bernard 
addresses us with the following beautiful words : 
'^Turn not away your eyes from the beauty of this 
star, if you do not desire to perish in the waves. 
When the storms of temptation arise, when you 
run against the shoals of tribulation, look up to 
the star, call upon Mary ! Are you troubled about 
the multitude of your sins, confused with shame 
on account of your impure conscience, on the point 
of being oppressed with sadness or of sinking in 
the dark abyss of despair : think of Mary ! In 
dangers, in doubts, in anxieties, think of Mary! 
Let her name be ever on your lips, ever in your 
lieart ; and that you may be worthy of her inter- 
cession, fail not to follow her example. Following 
her, you cannot stray; under her protection you 
need not fear ; in her company you will not grow 
weary ; if she is propitious to you, you will attain 
salvation, and experience by yourself that the name 
of the Virgin is Mary, 'Star of the sea.' " 

PEAYER. 

Hail, Mary, full of grace! May I experience the 
salutary effects of thy intercession, so powerful to 
obtain mercy and grace. Pray for me now, during 
life ; and at the hour of my death stand by me, as 
thou didst stand by thy beloved Son when He 
expired on the cross. Intercede for me with my 
Judge, thy Son, that He receive me into heaven, 
there to praise Him and thee forever. Amen. 



ON DEYOTION TO THE B. VIEGIN MAEY. 213 

Points of fleditation for next Morning. 

XXXYII. 

Recapitalation. 

'•Hail, Mary, full of grace!" — 

Luke I. 48. 

1. ^^ Behold thy Mother!^'' — '^When Jesus there- 
iore had seen His motlier and the disciple standing, 
whom He loved, He said to His mother. Woman, 
behold thy son. After that he saith to the disciple, 
Behold thy Mother." (John XIX. 26, 27.) Thus 
Mary was, not by an angel's message, but by the 
lips of the dying Son of God, proclaimed Mother of 
all mankind. 

2. ^^From henceforth all generations shall call me 
blessed. ^^ (Luke I. 48.) From one end of the 
universe to the other millions of voices ascend 
every moment to carry to Mary their supplications 
and praises. — A strong, fervent devotion to Mary 
will guard us against temptation and sin. — De- 
votion to the Mother makes us more zealous for the 
glory of the Son. — What a rich harvest of graces 
would be ours if we were to renew constantly in our 
hearts the remembrance of Mary, our Mother! 

3. Have confidence in Mary! — What precious 
favors may we not hope from her if, whilst per- 
severingly invoking her intercession, we do oilr 
utmost to imitate the purity and holiness of her 
life ! ' 'He that shall find me, shall find life, and 
shall have salvation from the Lord." (Prov. 
Till. 35.) When you stand before the judgment- 
seat of God, you will realize how salutary it was to 
liave often repeated, ''Holy Mary, Mother of God, 
pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our 
death." 



214 



Eighth Day. 

rieditation during the Forenoon. 

XXXYIII. 

Growth in Holiness. 

"By their fruits you shall know 
them." — Matth. VII. 20. 

As the tree is known by its fruits, so is real 
virtue known by the effects it produces in the life 
of man. The sanctification of our souls was the true 
end for which we came into this Avorld. ^^This is 
the will of God, your sanctification." (I Thess. 
lY. 3.) — Has the will of God in this particular 
been the governing principle throughout our life ? 
Far from it, this great and important duty has 
hitherto seldom found a place among our thoughts. 
"NYho is he, and we will praise him'* (Eccl. 
XXXI. 9.), that reflects seriously on his obligation 
of steadily pursuing the attainment of holiness 1 
With the majority of mankind this thought is, 
alas, the last to which they give consideration, and 
hence it is, as consequence follows cause or shadow 
substance, that the precious time of life is wasted, 
instead of being employed for attaining the great 
end for which we were created. 

But how is it possible to lead a pure and holy 
life amid the distractions and dangers that surround 
us ? — True, it is attended with difficulties, but 
the difficulties are not so great as we imagine. 
The duties which religion prescribes in order to 
attain a state of sanctify or godliness consist only 
in faithfully observing God's commandments, as 
appears from the words of Christ, ^'If thou wilt 



GROWTH IN HOLINESS. 215 

enter into life, keep the commandments." (Matth. 
XIX. 17.) Is this a task so mightily arduous as 
to he deemed almost impossible ? Many thousands 
of our predecessors by this very means have earned 
for themselves the glory and happiness they now 
enjoy in heaven. Their example should instruct, 
their reward encourage us. 

It is a melancholy truth that, in our age, iniquity 
overruns the face of the earth, and by a strange 
depravity vice is reduced to a system and intro- 
duced as a fashion. Yet a few there are, and those 
few consist of thousands, and those thousands are 
scattered amongst all nations, who constantly ful- 
fill the holy law of God. The instances are before 
our eyes. Our churches bear testimony to their 
piety, old age and poverty to their charity, all their 
transactions give proof of the regularity of their 
conduct. And what can hinder us from doing what 
thousands have done, and what many are doing 
daily before our eyes ? 

It has been impiously said that some of the com- 
mandments are impossible to be observed, even by 
the just themselves, even if they should use their 
utmost endeavors. But this doctrine, so repugnant 
to faith, has been censured and condemned by the 
Church as inconsistent with the principles of re- 
ligion, as contrary to the very concex^tion we have 
of the divinity. Our Lord Himself tells us, ''My 
yoke is sweet, and my burden light." (Matth. 
XI. 30.) How could this be true, if the observance 
of His commandments were impossible ? 

Yet, they appear extremely difficult. To whom 1 
To those who make the gratification of their passions 



216 EIGHTH DAY. 

their sole object ; to those who will not submit, 
and are always acting in opposition to their duty. 
Let them once submit, and they will know by 
experience that His yoke is sweet and His burden 
light, and by it they ^' shall find rest for their 
souls." (Matth. XI. 29.) 

True, man's weakness is great, excessively great ; 
and experience suj^ports the assertion, that it is 
scarcely in our power to know our own frailty. The 
intellect of man is clouded with darkness, and his 
will is reduced to a low degree of feebleness. From 
these causes result reluctance to good and pro- 
pensity to evil. When we consider human nature 
iu this light, debased and weakened by original 
sin, we certainly have reason to be extremely diffi- 
dent of ourselves, and to exclaim with St. Paul, 
' 'Unhappy man tliat I am, who shall dt^liver me 
from the body of this death?" (Rom. VII. 24.) 
Besides, it is a point of faith, tliat of ourselves we 
can do nothing with regard to salvation. Our 
Saviour says, ' 'Without me you can do nothing." 
(John XV. 5.) And St. Paul reminds us that ''we 
are not sufficient to think any thing of ourselves, 
as of ourselves ; but our sufficieny is from God." 
(II Cor. III. 5.) This is indeed enough to sink us 
to the lowest degree of self-annihilation in the eyes 
of God. It should not, however, make us overlook 
the powerful resources we have. 

For it is no less au article of faith and an un- 
doubted i^rinciple of religion, that, with the grace 
of God, we can overcome the greatest difficulties. 
^'I can do all things", says St. Paul, "in Him Who 
strengtheneth me." (Philip IV. 13.) But he adds, 



GROWTH IN HOLINESS. 217 

*'Yet not I, but the grace of God with me." 
(I Cor. XY. 10.) And then he triumphantly ex- 
claims, '^If God be for us, who is against us?'^ 
(Eom. YIII. 31.) 

This divine grace or heavenly assistance is, in 
some measure, imparted to all ; for St. Paul de- 
clares that God ^'will have all men to be saved." 
(I Tim. II. 4.) Now the will of God must neces- 
sarily be effected so far as to supply all with the 
necessary means of salvation, namely with grace ; 
for grace implies every necessary means for that end. 
This divine grace, the holy Fathers say, is always 
proportioned to the difficulties attendant upon the 
different stations of life we are called to and engaged 
in. Again, this divine grace or heavenly assistance 
is always increased in i^roportion to our fidelity 
and fervor ; as it is decreased or withdrawn in 
proportion to our negligence or infidelity. 

Seeing, therefore, that with the grace of God we 
can fulfill our most difficult obligations ; that this 
grace is imj)arted abundantly to us ; that it is in 
oui' power, by a proj^er application to prayer 
and godliness, to increase this divine grace and 
thereby augment our spiritual strength and ability — 
what excuse can we plead for not growing in holi- 
ness 1 This reflection made St. Paul exclaim, ^'O 
man of God . . . pursue justice, godliness, faith, 
charity, patience, mildness. Fight the good fight 
of faith ; lay hold of eternal life whereunto thou 
art called." (I Tim. YI. 11, 12.) 

But how is it, that many feel so little, and ex- 
perience so seldom, the influence of divine grace f 
This happens either because they resist its in- 



218 EIGHTH DAY. 

fluence, or because Almighty God, in punishment 
of their neglect, withdraws His powerful grace, and 
leaves them only such weak and feeble aids as 
make little impression on the mind or heart. In 
this situation, wherein man appears abandoned to 
his own weakness, everything seems difficult, every 
temptation is easily yielded to. Can anything be 
more dreadful than a situation of this kind ? There 
can not, undoubtely, as it borders on rei)robation 
and eternal perdition. '^Take heed therefore that 
the light which is in thee, be not darkness.'^ 
(Luke XI. 35.) If the grace of God does not 
enlighten you, you can have no thought of God, no 
desire of salvation, no relish for the things of 
heaven. 

The grace of God, then, being the light of the 
soul as well as its strength, it follows that we 
should dread no loss in this life equal to the loss of 
His grace, and should resolve on cherishing and 
improving it by a virtuous and holy life. To do 
this, we nuist employ the means to increase the 
influence of grace by frequent fervent i)rayer, works 
of charity, the sacraments and the Holy Sacrifice 
of the Mass. Using these divine remedies, we 
shall certainly receive such abundance of divine 
grace as will make the greatest difficulties ajipear 
easy. Covered with this armor of faith, we shall 
soon learn to resist the most violent temptations, 
elude all the wiles of the evil sjiirit, and triumph' 
over all spirits of hell. Then we shall walk with 
cheerfulness in the most arduous path of righteous- 
ness, observing '^whatsoever things are true, 
whatsoever modest, whatsoever just, whatsoever 



CURIOSITY A TEMPTATION TO SIN. 219 

holy, whatsoever lovely, whatsoever of good fame'^ 
(Philip. IV. 8.), till the end comes of our mortal 
course, when God in His mercy shall call us to 
make us partakers of the high reward He has pro- 
mised to all those — and to those alone — who 
lead holy and virtuous lives upon earth. 



Spiritual Reading. 

XXXIX. 

Curiosity a Temptation to Sin. 

One chief cause of the wickedness which is 
everywhere seen in the world, and which, alas, 
each of us has more or less for his share, is our 
curiosity to have some fellowship with darkness, 
some experience of sin, to know what the pleasures 
of sin are like. Nor is it wonderful that this should 
be the case in the descendants of that guilty pair 
to whom satan in the beginning held out admit- 
tance into a strange world of knowledge and 
enjoyment as the reward of disobedience to God's 
commandment. ^'And the woman saw that the 
tree was good to eat, and fair to the eyes, and 
delightful to behold ; and she took of the fruit 
thereof, and did eat, and gave to her husband, 
who did eat." (Gen. III. 6.) Curiosity strangely 
moves us to disobedience. We intrude into things 
forbidden, in various ways : in reading what we 
should not read, in hearing what we should not 
hear, in seeing what we should not see, in going 
whither we should not go, in presumptuous rea- 
sonings and arguings when we should have faith ^ 



220 EIGHTH DAY. 

in acting as if we were our own masters where 
we should obey. We indulge our reason ; we 
indulge our passions ; we indulge our ambition, 
our vanity; we seek the companionship of the 
worldly; and all the while we think that, after 
having acquired this miserable knowledge of good 
and evil, we can return to our duty, and continue 
where we left off. 

Is ow this delusion arises from satan's craft, who 
knows well that if he can get us once to sin, he can 
easily make us sin twice and thrice, till at length 
we are taken captive. He sees that curiosity is 
man's great and first snare, as it was in paradise ; 
and he knows that if he can but force a way into 
our heart by this chief and exciting temptation, 
those temi^tations of other kinds, which follow in 
life, will easily prevail over us ; and, on the other 
hand, if we resist the beginnings of sin, there is 
every prospect through God's grace that we shall 
continue in a religious way. Hence is seen the 
divine wisdom, as well as the merciful considera- 
tion, of the advice of Holy Scripture, ''Be not 
delighted in the paths of the wicked, neither let 
the way of evil men please thee. Flee from it, 
pass not by it: go aside, and forsake it." (Pro v. 
IV. 14, 15.) As soon as we are made aware of 
the temptation, we must, if we are wise, turn our 
backs upon it, without waiting to think and reason 
about it; we must engage our mind in other 
thoughts. There are temptations when this advice 
is especially necessary ; but under all it is highly 
seasonable. 

For, consider, what must in all cases be the con- 



CURIOSITY A TEMPTATION TO SIN. 221 

sequences of allowing evil thoughts to be present 
to us, although we do not actually consent to them. 
This, namely, we shall make ourselves familiar 
with them, and if we are familiar with sin in 
thought, we are not far from actually committing 
it. Hence the precept of Our Lord, ^ 'Watch ye, 
and pray that ye enter not into temptation. ' ' 
(Matth. XXYI. 41.) To ''flee from the path of 
the wicked, to pass not by it, to go aside and for- 
sake it", what is this but watching? Therefore 
Our Lord insists so much on it, knowing that 
therein lies our safety. 

But how few can be truly said to watch and 
pray? We go through the occupations of the day, 
quite forgetting, to any practical purpose, that 
even when prayer is our occupation, there is need 
of caution. Are we not, generally speaking, living 
in habitual forgetfulness that this world is a place 
of trial, that all its employments, its pleasures, its 
occurrences, even the most innocent, the most 
acceptable to God, and the most truly profitable in 
themselves, are all the while so handled by satan 
as may be the most conducive to our ruin, if he 
can possibly contrive it ? — There is nothing over- 
•flrawn or superstitious in this view, as the plain 
words of Holy Scripture abundantly prove. We 
are told that ''our adversary, the devil, as a 
roaring lion goeth about, seeking whom he may 
devour" (I Pet. V. 8.); and therefore warned to 
^'be sober and watch". And assuredly our true 
comfort lies not in disguising the truth from our- 
selves, but in knowing something more than this : — 
that though satan is against us, God is for us ; that 



222 EIGHTH DAY. 

greater is He that is in us, than he that is in the 
world (I John lY. 4.), and that He will make a 
way to escape every temptation ; for '^God is faith- 
ful, Who will not suffer you to be tempted above 
that which you are able." (I Cor. X. 13.) 

God does His part surely, and satan does his 
part : we alone are unconcerned. Heaven and hell 
are at war for us and against us ; yet we trifle, and 
let life go on at random. Heaven and hell are be- 
fore us as our own future abode, one or the other of 
them ; yet 'our own interest moves us no more than 
God's mercy. We treat sin not as an enemy to be 
feared, shunned and abhorred, but as a misfortune 
and a weakness. 

Let us not deceive ourselves. Let us make up 
our mind to take God for our portion, and let us 
l^raj^ to Him for grace to enable us to do so. Let 
us avoid the great evil of leisure, of having time 
on our hands. Though we may be laughed at for 
our strictness, thougli we may therebj^ be ignorant 
of much which others know ; though we may be 
called cowards, narrow-minded, or superstitious : 
let us fear not, falter not, fail not, but stand firm 
and be strong. Let us not be seduced by the temp- 
ter and his promises. He can show us no good ; 
he has no good to give us. Rather let us listen to 
the gracious words of our Maker and Eedeemer, 
''Cry to me, and I will hear thee ; and I will show 
thee great things, and sure things which thou 
knowestnot." (Jerem. IH. 3.) 



THE POWER OF THE WILL. 223 

Afternoon Conference. 

XL. 
The Power of the Will. 

"Finally, brethren, be strengthened 
in the IrOrd, and in the might of His 
power." — Kphes. VI. 10. 

Let us ask ourselves why it is, that we so often 
wish to do right, and cannot ? Why is it, that we 
are so frail, feeble, languid, wayward, dim-sighted, 
fluctuating, perverse ? Why is it, that day after 
day we remain irresolute, that we serve God so 
poorly, that we govern ourselves so weakly and so 
variably, 'that we cannot command our thoughts, 
that we are so slothful, so cowardly, so discon- 
tented, so sensual, so ignorant? Is it that the 
power of God is not within us ? Is it literally that 
we are not able to obey God's commandments'? — 
God forbid ! We are able. We have had the gift of 
grace implanted within us ; we have a power within 
us to do what we are commanded to do. What is 
it we lack ? — Not the power, but the ivill. What 
we lack is the real, simjjle, earnest, sincere inclina- 
tion and aim to use what God has given us, and 
what we have in us. 

To take an instance of the simplest kind. Is not 
the power to use our limbs our own by nature! 
What, then, is sloth but a want of will *? But if we 
are set on attaining an object, is the effort any 
effort at all ? There are cases, doubtless, in which 
a man is weak in power, though earnest in will; 
and of course it continually happens that he has 
ungovernable feelings and passions in spite of his 
better nature. But in a very great multitude of 



224 EIGHTH DAY. 

cases this pretense of want of power is really but a 
want of will. Wlien a man complains that he is 
under the dominion of any bad habit, let him 
seriously ask himself whether he has ever iciUcd to 
get rid of it ! Can he say with a simple mind, say 
in God'S sight, ''I wish it removed ? " 

A man, for instance, cannot attend to his prayers ; 
his mind wanders; other thoughts intrude; time 
after time passes, and it is the same. Shall we 
say this arises from want of x>ower ? Of course it 
may be so ; but before he says so, let him consider 
whether he has ever roused himself, awakened 
himself, set his will on attention. We. know the 
feeling in nnpleasant dreams, when we say to our- 
selves, '^This is a dream," and yet cannot exert 
ourselves to will to be free from it ; and how, at 
length by an effort of the will, we move and the 
si)ell at once is broken, we wake. So it is with 
sloth and indolence. The Evil One is heavy on 
us, but he has no power over us except in our 
unwillingness to get rid of him. 

Let us take what trial Ave please — the world's 
ridicule or censure, loss of admirers or friends, loss 
of ease, endurance of bodily pain — and recollect 
how easy our course has been after we had once 
made up our mind to submit to it ; how simple all 
that remained became, how difficulties vanished, 
and how the soul was strengthened to do what was 
to be done. Or have we ever found God to fail us 
when our own heart has not failed us ? But it is 
seldom we have the heart to throw ourselves on 
the divine Arm; we dare not trust ourselves on 
the waters, though Christ bids us. We have not 
St. Peter's faith to come to Him upon the sea. 



THE POWER OF THE WILL. 225 

To inspire us with trust and hope, Our Lord 
says : ^^What man is there among you, who, if his 
son ask bread, will reach him a stone 1 Or, if he 
ask a fish, will reach him a serpent? If you, then, 
being evil, know how to give good gifts to your 
children, how much more will your Father who is 
in heaven, give good things to them that ask him?'^ 
(Matth. YIII. 9—11.) Let us, then, ask God for 
His assistance, and we shall be able to say with 
the Apostle, '^I can do all things in Him who 
strengthenethme" (Philip IV. 13.), adding humbly 
with him, ''Yet not I, but the grace of God with 
me.'^ (I Cor, XY. 10.) If, then, we lack the 
|30wer of the will, it is our own fault, because we 
ask not ''in faith, nothing wavering," (James I. 6), 
but our will is "like a wave of the sea, which is 
moved and carried about by the wind." (Ibid.) 
Such being God's promise, what can His mercy do 
for us which he has not done? "What is there 
that I ought to do more for my vineyard, that I 
have not done it?" (Isai. Y. 4.) 

Oh, how the saints put us to shame, "who by faith 
conquered kingdoms, wrought justice, obtained 
promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched 
the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, 
recovered strength from weakness, became valiant 
in battle, put to flight the armies." (Hebr. XI. 33, 
34. ) — And why ? Because they had a heart to 
contemplate, to design, to ivill great things. Doubt- 
less, in many respects we are all but men to the 
end ; we hunger, we thirst, we need sustenance, we 
need sleep, we need society, we need instruction, 
we need encouragement, we need example ; yet 

15 



226 EIGHTH DAY. 

who can say to what heights in time men can 
attain, who beginning little by little, yet in the 
distance shadow forth great things ? Bnt we sit 
coldly and sluggishly at home ; we fold our hands, 
and cry, ^'A little more slumber!" We shut our 
eyes, we cannot see things afar off, we cannot see 
^'the land before" us. (Deut^r. XXXII. 52.) We 
do not understand that Christ calls us after Him ; 
we do not hear the voice of His heralds in the 
wilderness ; we have not the heart to go forth with 
Him into the desert Who multiijlies the loaves and 
feeds us by every word of His mouth. Others 
before us have done in His strength Avhat we have 
l)ut aside. Others all around us are doing what 
we will not. Others are fighting against their 
enemy mor^ truly and bravely. The unlettered, 
the ungifted, the young, the weak and simxjle, 
with sling and stones from the brook are encoun- 
tering Goliath, as haviug on divine armor. We 
fear to be too holy. We fear to cast in our lot 
with the saints ; we fear to seek tlie strait gate, lest 
we be of the few, not of the man3\ Oh, that we 
become loyal and willing before our race is run! 
Before our sun goes down in the grave may we 
learn somewhat more of what the Apostle calls the 
love of Christ which j)asseth understanding, and 
receive some of the rays of love which proceed 
from Him! 

Especially now, when Christ has called us up, 
let us gird uj) our loins and fearlessly obey and 
follow Him. ''Put you on the armor of God, that 
you may be able to stand against the deceits of the 
devil; for our wrestling is not against flesh and 



ON PERSEVERANCE. 227 

Mood; but against principalities and powers, 
against the ruler of this world of darkness, 
against the spirits of wickedness in high places. 
Therefore take unto you the armor of God, that 
you may be able to resist in the evil day, and to 
stand in all things perfect." (Ephes. YI. 11 — 13.) 



Final Meditation. 

XLI. 
On Perseyerance. 

"Be thou faithful until death, and I 
will give thee the crown of life." 

— Apoc. II. 10 

By perseverance is meant the continuation in 
grace after it has been once received ; by final 
perseverance our being in the state of grace at the 
time of our death. 

The Church is careful to remind us that persever- 
ance is a grace which we cannot merit for ourselves. 
We must depend on God alone to grant it to us, 
and we must have the fullest confidence that, as He 
refuses not His grace to those who are faithful and 
oonstant in praying for it. He will not refuse this 
greatest of His favors. And therefore we may 
share St. Paul's confidence, that He Who began 
the good work of our salvation by calling us to the 
faith and making us partakers of His sacraments, 
in answer to our unceasing prayers will perfect 
that work unto the end. 

With regard to the attainment of perseverance, 
the most important of all graces, there are certain 
practical truths which we must bear in mind, and 



228 EIGHTH DAY. 

the recollection of these truths will certainly be a 
help towards securing it. 

First of all, we must not forget that it is difficult 
to persevere. Heaven suffers violence ; but heaven 
is the reward of perseverance, and therefore perse- 
verance demands violence. We must be constantly 
making efforts, and this is difficult to do. We 
must be continually on our guard, and this constant 
watchfulness is contrary to our natural proneness 
to self-indulgence, and therefore costs us a great 
deal. Our weakness, also, is so great, and our 
enemies are so powerful, that there is always a 
danger of their conquering, and our being subdued. 
And the length of time that is possibly before us adds 
to the difficulty. If we knew that we had but one 
day to labor in, and that all depended on that one 
day's labor, we might brace ourselves up, and 
nobly brave all the difficulties of that one short 
period. But it may be that we shall liave years 
before us ; and how can we go on for sucli a length 
of time, persevering steadily and faithfully in all 
that is required of us ! 

True, it seems discouraging to dwell on such a 
thought : yet it is a necessary thought, a first 
l^rinciple. But we are not to dwell uj^on it as if it 
were the only principle which concerns our perse- 
verance. It is difficult, but remember also that it 
is not impossible to persevere. God commands us 
to persevere. And He never commands what is 
impossible. Therefore we can persevere and the 
knowledge of this possibility at once diminishes 
the difficulty. St. Augustine was wont to encour- 
age himself with the reflection, ' 'Others have done 



ON PERSE YEEANCE. 229 

it: you can do the same." Others have perse- 
vered because they knew they had something 
difficult to do, and it was this very knowledge 
that made them persevere. The difficulty made 
them cautious, and caution saved them. To 
be forewarned is, for the prudent man, to be fore- 
armed ; and the knowledge of a danger is the first 
step against it. 

Therefore, admitting that there is danger and 
difficulty attending our perseverance, let us not be 
dismayed ; for although difficult, it is quite possible, 
and, considering all circumstances, we may even 
maintain that it is easy. This seeming contradiction 
may startle you, but there is no contradiction. 
Both statements are true : perseverance is difficult, 
it is easy. It is difficult in one sense, and easy in 
another. It is difficult when we consider our own 
weakness and instability, and the power and obsti- 
nacy of our enemies. But, then, we are not alone. 
Why should we be faint-hearted, when we remember 
that we have God for and with us *? '^If God be with 
us, who is against us I " (Eom. YIII. 31.) If God 
be with us, perseverance is easy. 

Nay, more: Perseverance is not only possible 
and easy, but, if we will, it is even certain. St. Paul, 
or rather the Holy Ghost through him, assures us, 
^'that He, Who hath begun a good work in you, 
will perfect it." (Philip. I. 6.) And at the same 
time that the Apostle expressed the apprehension 
of his possible falling away, he did not hesitate to 
believe in his ultimate success : ' 'I can do all things 
in Him Who strengtheneth me." (Philip. IV. 13.) 
And he elsewhere says, ''As to the rest, there is 



230 EIGHTH DAY. 

laid up for me a crown of justice, which the Lord 
the just Judge will render to me in that day.'^ 
(II. Tim. lY. 8.) ^Yhen we feel confident and 
certain that we can do a work, we do not fail in the 
attempt. It is they who hesitate that are frustrated 
in their efforts. We must go forward with perfect 
confidence that we shall not be disappointed. God 
and his holy angels will be with us on our way, and 
we shall be sure to arrive safely at our journey's end. 
'^When a certain person in anxiety of mind was 
often wavering between hope and fear, and, on a 
time, being overwhelmed with grief, had prostrated 
himself in prayer in the church before a certain 
altar, he resolved these things within himself, 
saying, 'If I did but know that I should still per- 
severe.' And presently he heard within himself 
this answer from God, 'And if thou didst know 
this, what wouldst thou then do ? Do now, what 
thou wouldst do then, and thou shalt be secure.' 
And Immediately, being comforted and strength- 
ened, he committed himself to the divine will, and 
his anxious wavering ceased. Neither had he a 
mind any more to search curiouslj^ to know what 
should befall him hereafter ; but rather studied to 
inquire the will of God 'well pleasing and perfect,' 
(Eom. Xll. 2.), for the beginning and accomplish- 
ment of every good work." {Imit. of Christ, I. 25.) 
This is exactly what we ought to do. We must go 
forward with the fullest confidence that God, Who 
created us that we might be saved, and Who grants 
salvation only to those that persevere, will Himself 
enable us to attain the reward which He has pre- 
pared for us. 



ON PERSEVERANCE. 231 

To persevere, we must use the means pointed 
out to us by the masters of the spiritual life for the 
attainment of this purpose. Briefly summed up> 
they are : 

1) Avoid the occasion of sin. — In spite of our 
strongest resolutions, the occasion will make us 
fall. In vain, therefore, do we flatter ourselves 
with the hope of remaining in God's grace, if we 
do not avoid the occasion of sin. 

2) Sincere confession and frequent devout Communion 
are the most efficacious means of confirming us in 
our good resolutions. The sacraments were insti- 
tuted for our sanctification and for the maintenance 
of our spiritual life. Our Divine Saviour, aware 
of the repugnance of human nature to virtue, and 
of the necessity of a means of grace, left us the 
wonderful and consoling sacraments of Penance 
and the Most Holy Eucharist, ^^^othing," says 
St. Chrysostom, '^renders Christians more formid- 
able to the powers of hell, than frequent worthy 
Communion." And the Council of Trent declares 
it a sovereign preservative against mortal sin, a 
powerful antidote against venial sin, and a sure 
remedy against daily imi^erfections. 

3) Prayer is another most efficacious means of 
perseverance. If we pray perseveringiy and with 
the requisite dispositions, we are sure, sooner or 
later to receive the gifts of God. ''Ask, and you 
shall receive." (John XYI. 24.) If this promise 
relates to all things, much more so does it relate to 
perseverance. 

4) Have a filial confidence in Mary. — If we are 
unworthy to receive an answer to our prayer, and 



232 EIGHTH DAY. 

have recourse to her, she will join her petitions 
with ours, and her prayers are always heard ; for 
the Son will never refuse the petitions of His 
Mother, especially when they relate to the attain- 
ment of our salvation. 

5) Avoid presumption; avoid despondency. — We 
have the testimony of St. Alphonsus Liguori for it, 
that these two faults cause the ruin of many souls. 
Hence we must avoid presumi^tion, because we 
know our weakness ; we must avoid despondency, 
because we know the power of God's help. ^^The 
God of all grace. Who hath called us unto His 
eternal glory in Christ Jesus, after you have suffered 
a little, will Himself perfect you, and confirm you, 
and establish you. To Him be glory and empire 
for ever and ever. Amen." (I. Pet. Y. 10.) 



233 



Appendix. 

I. 

flethod of Assisting at Holy flass. . 

By St. Leonard of Port Maurice. 

St. Thomas Aquinas enumerates four debts, 
which we owe to God. The first is the debt of 
adoration and praise ; the second, of atonement ; 
the third, of thanksgiving ; the fourth, of imjpetra- 
tion. In a word, it is an obligation we have 
towards God to adore and praise Him, to atone for 
our sins, to thank Him, and to ask Him for His 
grace. This obligation is fully discharged through 
Holy Mass. It is a sacrifice of adoration, atone- 
ment, thanksgiving and impetration. 

To discharge this fourfold indebtedness divide 
the Mass into four parts : 

1. As soon as Mass commences, while the priest, 
at the foot of the altar, humbles himself, saying the 
Confiteor, etc., do you then, after a brief self-exa- 
mination, stir up your heart to true contrition, 
asking pardon of God for your sins, and invoking 
the aid of the Holy Ghost, and the intercession of 
the Blessed Virgin Mary that you may hear this 
Mass with all reverence and devotion. Then, 
during the first part, which is from the Introit to 
the Gospel, you will acquit yourself of the obli- 
gation of honoring and praising the majesty of 
that God Who is worthy of infinite honor and 
praise. Wherefore, humble yourself with Jesus, 
acknowledging your own unworthiness, and thus 
humbled internally and externally, and remaining, 



234 APPENDIX. 

as you ought througbout Mass, all modest and 
composed, say ; 

''O my God, I adore Thee, and acknowledge 
Thee for my Lord, for the master of my soul. I 
protest that all I am, and all I have, are mllingly 
acknowledged by me to be from Thee. And since 
Thy Supreme Majesty deserves infinite honor and 
homage, while I am but a poor, helpless being, 
utterly incapable of paying so great a debt, I offer 
up to Thee the humiliation and homage which 
Jesus renders to Thee on the altar. That which 
Jesus does I purpose also to do. I humble, I 
abase myself, together with Him, before Thy 
Majesty. I adore Thee with the same humiliation 
which Jesus practises, and I rejoice and am glad 
that Jesus renders to Thee, for me, infinite honor 
and homage." 

Eepeat many internal acts of this kind. Nor be 
at all anxious to keep to the words just given, but 
make use of those which your devotion shall dic- 
tate, while you remain recollected in and united 
A^ith God. 

2. In the second part, from the Gospel to the 
Elevation, j'ou will acquit yourself of the second 
obligation. Casting a brief glance over your most 
grievous sins, reflect on the enormity of your debt 
toward Divine Justice, and say with a contrite 
heart : 

' 'Behold, O my God, the traitor who has so 
many times rebelled against Thee. Pierced with 
grief, I abominate and detest my numerous sins, 
while I offer for them that same satisfaction which 
Jesus offers on the altar. I offer to Thee all the 



METHOD OF ASSISTING AT HOLY MASS. 235 

merits of Jesus, Jesus Himself, God and man, 
Who now, as an unbloody Victim, pleads anew 
for me His bloody sacrifice on the cross. I offer 
all that He does on that altar as my Mediator and 
Advocate, imploring of Thee to pardon me through 
His most precious Blood. I unite myself with the 
cry of that loving Blood, and I beseech of Thee 
mercy for my sins, so grievous and so many. The 
Blood of Jesus cries for mercy. O my God, if my 
tears move Thee not, let the groans of my Jesus 
move Thee ; that mercy which He obtained for the 
whole human race on the cross — why should He 
not obtain it for me on this altar 1 Oh yes, I hope 
that in virtue of that most precious Blood, Thou 
wilt pardon all my most grievous transgressions, 
for which I shall persevere in weeping to the last 
breath of my life. ' ' 

Make many such acts, and be sure that in this 
way you will fully discharge the debt of your 
many sins. 

3. During the third part, from the Elevation till 
Communion reflect on the great and manifold 
benefits either bestowed on you or designed for you 
by God, and then offer to Him in return a gift of 
infinite value, that is, the Body and Blood of Jesus 
Christ. Then invite all the angels also, and all 
the saints, to thank God in your behalf, in the 
following, or some similar words ; 

^ ^Behold me, my most beloved God, laden with 
the benefits, both general and particular, which 
Thou deignest to bestow on me in time, and to 
store up for me in eternity. I know that Thy 
mercies toward me have been and are infinite, 



236 APPENDIX. 

but yet I am ready to repay Thee all, even to the 
last farthing. Behold, I thank and repay Thee by 
this most precious Body, this divine Blood, which 
I present to Thee by the hands of Thy priest. I 
am certain that this offering which I make is 
sufficient to repay all the gifts Thou hast bestowed 
on me. This gift of infinite value is by itself worth 
all the gifts which I have received, which I do now 
receive, and am yet to receive from Thee. O ye 
holy angels and all ye blessed ones in heaven, help 
me to thank my God, and to offer Him, in thanks- 
giving for such benefits, not only this, but all the 
Masses, which are being actually celebrated 
throughout the world, in order that His loving 
beneficence may remain fully recompensed for so 
many graces which He has bestowed on me, which 
He is now about to bestow, and will bestow 
throughout all eternity." 

Oh, how pleasing to our good God will be such 
an affectionate thanksgiving! This oblation, sur- 
passing all other gifts, and of infinite value, has 
greater efficacy than all other offerings. 

4. In the fourth part, fom the Communion to 
the end, after having made a spiritual Communion 
while the priest communicated sacramentally, look 
upon God Who is in you, and then summon up 
holy courage to ask of Him many graces, knowing 
that at that time Jesus unites Himself to you, and 
prays and supplicates in your behalf. Therefore 
enlarge your heart, and do not ask things of small 
importance, but ask great graces, your offering 
being so great, namely, that of His Divine Son. 
Say to Him with an humble heart : 



METHOD OF ASSISTING AT HOLY MASS. 237 

*^Most gracious God, too well I recognize myself 
unworthy of Thy favors. I confess my supreme 
unworthiness, and that because of so many and so 
grievous sins I deserve not to be heard. But how 
shalt Thou be able to refuse attention to Thy 
Divine Son Who on this altar intercedes for me, 
and offers to Thee, in my behalf, His life and His 
Blood ? My most loving God, hear the prayer of 
this my great Advocate, and for His sake grant me 
all the graces which Thou knowest to be necessary 
for accomplishing the great affair of my eternal 
salvation. And now that I take heart to ask of 
Thee a general pardon of all my sins, and the grace 
of final perseverance, I also ask of Thee, my God, 
trusting in the merits and intercession of Jesus, all 
virtues in a heroic degree, and all the aids neces- 
sary and efficacious for making me a saint. I ask 
of Thee the conversion of sinners, and particularly 
of those who belong to me by the ties of blood or by 
spiritual affinity. I beg of Thee the liberation, not 
of one soul only, but of all the souls in purgatory. 
Oh, bring them all out, so that, through the efficacy 
of this divine sacrifice, that prison where they are 
being rendered pure may become empty. Convert 
also all the souls of the living ; may this miserable 
world become a paradise of delight for Thee, where, 
loved, reverenced and praised in time by all of us, 
we may come afterward to praise and bless Thee for 
all eternity." 

Pray for yourself, pray for your relatives, pray 
for the whole Church. Pray with supreme con- 
fidence, and rest assured that your prayer, in union 
with that of Jesus Christ, will be heard. 



238 APPENDIX. 

II. 

Three Methods of Prayer, 

recommended by St. Ignatius in his Book of Spiritual Exercises. 

First Method. 

This method consists in an examination, inter- 
spersed with aspirations, expressions of contrition, 
and purposes of amendment. The examination 
may relate to the commandments of God, or to the 
capital sins, or to the i^owers of the soul, viz., 
memory, understanding and will ; or to the senses 
of the body, to seeing, hearing, etc. The exami- 
nation is made as follows : 

1) Eecollect yourself, and ask, What am I about 
to do ! I am about to meditate on ... . 

2) Ask pardon of God for the sins which you 
have committed, for instance, against the com- 
mandments ; promise Him to follow His inspira- 
tions. 

3) Begin your examination. Make it not as for 
confession, but in the form of a meditation, and 
so as to render an account to yourself before God 
on the subject under consideration. Thus: In 
what have I offended God against the first com- 
mandment ! — In what against faith, hope, charity, 
religion? — Let j^our examination be very brief. 
Then ask j^ardon of God for your faults, and pro- 
mise Him to amend them. Add aspirations, for 
instance, I believe, O God, strengthen my faith! 
Pardon my want of confidence in Thee! O God, 
may I love Thee ever more and more ! " — After 
examining youi'self on the first commandment, pro- 
ceed to the second, and so on. 



THREE METHODS OF PRAYER. 239 

After the time you have set apart for prayer is 
over, finish it at whatever point you may ha])pen 
to be, reserving the rest for the next day. 

If you take for the subject of your exercise the 
capital sins, or the five senses, or the powers of the 
soul, the method remains the same, but you will 
ask yourself : In what manner have I offended by 
pride, envy, etc.? Or, How have I sinned with my 
eyes, my tongue etc. ? — Or, have I sinned with my 
memory, my understanding, etc. ? — Close with an 
Our Father. 

It is also an excellent exercise to consider what 
use Our Divine Saviour and His * Blessed Mother 
made of their senses : How j)ure, how modest they 
were in their looks ; how circumspect, how chari- 
table in their words ; how mortified in their senses. — 
Then ask yourself how you have used your senses : 
Have you followed the example of Jesus and 
Mary % — If you have in any way offended, resolve 
to be more careful in future. 

Second Method. 

This method is easier, and generally also more 
effective than the first. It consists in joining vocal 
with mental prayer. Take, for instance, the Our 
Father, the Hail Mary, the Salve Regina, or some 
other prayer, and whilst saving it, meditate on all 
its words, proceeding slowly from one to the other, 
and dwelling on one as long as you can occupy your 
thoughts with it. — For illustration, read the 
following meditation on the Ave Maria. 

At the beginning say,* '^I will meditate on the 
Ave Maria. Holy Virgin, obtain for me the grace 
to perform this exercise well.^' 



240 APPENDIX. 

Adore God, invoke the assistance of the Holy- 
Ghost, and then, proceed as follows. 

^^Hail!^^ — Who speaks thus? The archangel 
Gabriel. — To whom *? To the Blessed Yirgin 
Mary. — I also salute thee, O Mary, my Queen, 
my Mother, the Mother of my Eedeemer. It is my 
duty to do homage to thee, to whom the archangel 
brought the message of heaven, ''Hail!" I unite 
myself with heaven and earth, with angels and men 
in saluting thee. 

^'il/ar^//" O sweet, O consoling name! ^N'ame re- 
peated everywhere with sentiments of love! Mary! 
This sweet name is a help to the weak, a consola- 
tion to the afflicted, the hope of sinners, the last 
refuge of the dying. Mary ! If I should emi^loy 
the whole time of this my excercise in speaking 
this holy and wonderful name, in meditating on 
and admiring it, I should spend it most profitably. — 
The name of Mary means Star of the sea. Mary 
well deserves this application : she is the star that 
guides us through the dangers of life. It means 
Mistress, Queen : this she is indeed : Mistress aod 
Queen of angels and men. — O ^Mary, be my Star, 
my Mistress, and my Queen for ever! 

^^Full of grace !'^ — A vessel that is full cannot 
contain more : if anything be added it overflows. 
Thus it was with Mary. Her soul and heart were 
full of grace, love and holy desires. — Full of 
grace! Hence no space remained to be filled ; sin 
could not enter into her. Immaculate Yirgin, in 
thee all is grace, no sin. — Full of grace ! — Im- 
maculate in her conception, she received later that 
measure of grace described in the Gospel as a ''good 



THREE METHODS OF PEAYER. 241 

measure and i)ressed down and shaken together 
and running over." (Luke YI. 38.) In the mystery 
of the Incarnation the measure of Mary's grace be- 
came ineffable, she received the Author of grace 
Himself. Full of grace ! — She was so replete with 
grace, that she was enabled to enrich us with it 
from out of her abundance. — I will often have 
recourse to this fountain of grace — to Mary. She 
is full of grace — and I, alas, with what am I 
filled? 

^^The Lord is with thee.''^ — He is with and in the 
souls of all the just, but in a special manner in and 
with Mary, the most perfect and just of all crea- 
tures. The Eternal Father is with her as with His 
most beloved Daughter; the Son of God is with her as 
with His Mother, whom He elected from all eter- 
nity ; the Holy Ghost is with her as with His 
Spouse, whom He embellished with all His gifts. — 
The Lord is with thee ! — He is always with thee : 
He was always with thee, because thou didst never 
compel Him to depart from thee by sin. — O my 
God, be always with me, and never x)ermit me to 
be separated from thee ! 

^^ Blessed art tlioii amongst ivomen!^^ — In her Can- 
ticle, Mary herself proclaimed that all generations 
would call her blessed. And behold, the earth is 
dotted with sanctuaries dedicated to her honor; 
thousands upon thousand praise her; love and 
veneration for her are found with young and old, 
rich and poor, saints and sinners. — Where is 
there another woman honored like Mary ! And 
what other woman ever deserved to be thus ho- 
nored ? 

16 



242 APPENDIX. 

^^And blessed is the fruit of thy wombj Jesus,^^ — 
Jesus, name divine, brought from heaven by the 
archangel ; Jesus, Saviour of the world. Son of the 
Most High, Son of Mary, fruit of her most pure 
womb! — O holy Virgin, I congratulate thee on 
having become the Mother of Jesus, the Mother 
of thy and my God. Blessed be Jesus, blessed in 
heaven, blessed on earth ! — O Jesus, I praise 
Thee, I love Thee, I adore Thee ! Blessed be Thy 
holy name now and for evermore ! 

Other aspirations may be added ; but this ex- 
ample will suffice to explain this method. — It can 
be applied to any other prayer or text of Holy 
Scripture. — If the time of prayer be occupied by 
two or three words, recite the rest as usual in the 
end, and continue your meditation the next day. 

Third Method. 

It consists in saying some vocal prayer so 
slowly, that we can add an aspiration of our own 
to every word. Take, for instance, the prayer : 

^^Soid of Christ, sanctify 77?^/" — After recollecting 
the presence of God, and asking His assistance to 
perform this exercise with j^rofit, you begin : 
t^SouV — ''of Christ" — ''sanctify me!" —Whilst 
slowly repeating these and the following words, 
you dwell on their meaning, on the majesty of Him 
to Whom they are addressed, on your own un- 
worthiness, misery and sinfulness. 

This method is adapted to nearly everybody's 
capacity, and may be used even during manual 
labor, etc. It is especially recommended to those 
who have contracted the evil habit of saying their 
prayers hurriedly. 



243 

III. 
St. Bonaventure's Maxims of Piety. 

A reliable experience teaches, that no man can 
serve God perfectly unless he strives to entirely 
detach himself from the world. If, accordingly, 
we wish to follow Our Lord and Saviour, we must 
comply with the advice of the prophet Isaias, viz., 
^ 'Shake thyself from the dust, O Jerusalem ; sit up, 
loose the bonds," (Isai. LII. 2.); that is, first 
burst asunder the ties of sin, and then loosen the 
oppressing burdens. "When we are free from 
earthly affairs we can follow the Saviour with 
unimpeded steps; hence the Apostle says, ^'The 
body of sin may be destroyed, to the end that we 
may serve sin no longer." (Eom. VI. 6.) From 
this it folUows that we can let the care for any 
created thing occupy our hearts only so far as it 
calls forth a feeling of our love for God. A mani- 
fold and frequent occupation with various things 
not only destroys the soul and interrupts the sweet 
rest of inward peace, but also awakens vain fancies 
and representations in the soul, and causes stormy 
agitations which become very molesting. And this 
is always the case when we busy ourselves too 
much with these things. 

We must, therefore, lay aside the oppressive at- 
tachment to every earthly thing, in order that, 
without any impeding weight, we may hastily go to 
Him Who invites us to our salvation, and with 
Whom abundant refreshment and the greatest peace 
is to be found. ''Come to me all you that labor 
and are burdened, and I will refresh you." (Matth. 



244 APPENDIX. 

XI. 28.) O Lord, whom dost Thou need? Why 
dost Thou call me? What hast Thou in common with 
us ? O sweet and holy words, ''Come unto me and 
I will refresh you. ' ' O wonderful condescension of 
our God ! O unutterable love ! Who has ever done 
the like 1 Who ever heard or has seen similar 1 — 
Behold, He invites His enemies! He calls sinners, 
He urges the ungrateful! ''Come unto me and learn 
of me ! " — "Take up my yoke upon you, and learn 
of me, because I am meek and humble of heart; 
and you shall find rest for your souls." (Matth. 
XI. 29. ) O God-like and consoling words ! Sharper 
than a two-edged sword they stir up the inmost 
recess of the heart. They are filled with super- 
abundant sweetness, and penetrate the depths of 
the soul. O Christian soul, awaken to this ex- 
tremely ardent love, to the sensation of this great 
sweetness, to the loveliness of this sublime fra- 
grancy ! He who cannot perceive this must surely 
be ill, not of sound sense, and near the portals of 
death. 

Yes, my soul, glow and overflow in love and 
melt in sweetness. Let no one prevent you to 
enter, to embrace, to taste. What seek we more ? 
What hope we greater ? What more do we ask in 
this life ? We possess all goods in Christ. But 
alas, O incomprehensible insanity! O miserable 
weakness! O madness worthy of condemnation! 
We are called to rest, and rush to toil; we are 
invited to consolation, and seek grief ; joy is prom- 
ised us, and we prefer sorrow. O strange illness 
and wretched perversity ! We have become insen- 
sible, and almost worse than the idols : we have 



ST. bonayenture's maxims of piety. 245 

eyes and see not ; we have ears and liear not ; we 
have sense and discern not ; we declare the bitter 
to be sweet; and the sweet bitter. O my God, 
whence shall the correction of this perversity come? 
Whence the atonement for such an offence ? Indeed, 
the strength lies not in us ; it can only be given ns 
as a present by Thee. Thou alone canst set us 
right ; Thou alone canst atone for our sins ; for 
Thou alone, our salvation and redemx)tion, knowest 
our nature. Thou dost it only with those who 
acknowledge themselves full of misery, in the 
deepest abyss, and who believe that they can be 
delivered only by Thee. — Let us, therefore, raise 
our eyes to God alone, and see where we now lie 
dashed to the ground. For whoever does not 
know the depth of his own fall, cares less to rise 
again. But when we have perceived it, let us cry 
loudly out of the depth to God, that He may lend 
us His helping hand, which can never be powerless 
when extended to save. Let us ^^not therefore 
lose our confidence, which hath a great reward." 
(Hebr. X. 35.) ''Let us draw near with a true 
heart in fullness of faith (Hebr. X. 22.), and reap 
the salvation of our souls as the fruit thereof. 

Let us by no means delay. Kow life calls us ; 
salvation awaits us now, now our misery urges us 
to enter. What, then, shall we do ? Why are we 
slothful? Why do we delay? Let us hasten to 
enter into that rest of eternal joy, where great and 
inscrutable things, without number and measure, 
are prepared for us. Yes, may the longing for 
Jerusalem come into our hearts! Let us sigh for 
our home and yearn for our mother ! Let us enter 



246 APPENDIX. 

into the power of our Lord, and behold our King 
Who reigns therein, and may our hearts soften at 
the thought of His mercy ! From our whole heart 
let us thank Him Who, in spite of our ingratitude, 
did not take His mild mercy from us ; Who gave 
the desire to walk in the way of His command- 
ments, in which nobody can walk without desire. 
This gift by no means is trifling, and must be 
attributed solely to His grace. The royal prophet 
asserts that he desired the same: '^My soul hath 
coveted to long for Thy justifications at all times." 
(Ps. CXYIII. 20.) 

But since this desire sometimes becomes weak 
on account of our too great lukewarmness, careless- 
ness, and neglect, I intended to stir it up by 
writing some admonitions. They shall show clearly 
what we must shun, and to Avhat we must aspire. 
If we reflect on them with zeal and fervor, we may 
thereby regain our former ardor, and increase the 
love of God by virtue and grace, until finally the 
perfect yearning after the eternal tabernacles takes 
root in our hearts. 

Since it has pleased God to place you from the 
miserable servitude of Egypt in the liberty of the 
children of God, Who called you by His grace to 
represent in you the image of His Son ; since 
moreover, you yourself have placed your foot on the 
path of the new man, which, as a narrow path of 
humility Avinds along between fear and love, you 
can rise in the same i^ath of humility to a higher 
one, and exercise yourself in grand things, con- 
cerning which certain admonitions now follow. 



ST. BONA VENTURE'S MAXIMS OF PIETY. 247 

1. Forego all 'pleasures of this ivorld. 
If it is your earnest desire to follow in the foot- 
steps of your Saviour, you must, above all, firmly 
place your hope in the Lord, and expect none of 
the joys of this world. 

2. Thoroughly root out vices and concupis censes. 

You must endeavor to cleanse yourself entirely 
from all vices and evil desires, as far as this is 
compatible with the present condition of man. 
The old leaven of corruption and wickedness must 
be swept out, that you may follow Christ Our 
Lord in a new life. For as long as you have not 
previously broken the chains of malice your soul 
will always remain embarrassed in darkness and 
heavily burdened, and cannot raise itself to the 
more elevated things. 

3. Dissolve every outivard tie. 
To be joined to God with an undivided and pure 
heart you must free yourself from all outward 
connections. 

4. Endure all misfortunes with patience. 
For the love of God, the Most High, and of 
Christ your Spouse, you must bear all the persecu- 
tions of this world with indifference, and as far as 
possible even make a resolution to find your joy 
only in the sufferings of Christ. Contem^Dt for all 
worldly joys will make you cheerful even in adver- 
sity, considering it as prepared for you to cleanse 
you from sin, and for the benefit of your soul. 

5. Blame no one. 
Perceiving that you have offended God, seek the 
cause thereof in no creature. 



248 APPENDIX. 

6. Despise yourself, and be truly poor. 

You must despise yourself and desire to be des- 
pised by all. Therefore you must detach, yourself 
from all things, and always choose the rough, mean 
and needy as far as possible for you. But you 
must not demand the same of others ; on the con- 
trary, you must esteem them worthy of every joy, 
and consequently not only rejoice sincerely at their 
delight, but you must be kind and officious to 
them. Only when a manifest offence of God is in 
question, which can by no means be excused, you 
should be filled with pity, fear and sincere sorrow. 

7. Avoid all honors. 

Always persevere in fear, and avoid, as a fatal 
disease, all flatteries of this world, all honors, all 
fame, all favor, and all vain and boastful talk. 
Guard yourself strictly, and be always full of dis- 
trust towards yourself. For when you have gained 
a complete victory over yourself, no enemy, either 
inward or outward, will injure you. 

8. Be truly humble. 

Although Our Lord Jesus Christ was Lord of all 
things, heavenly, earthly and subterranean. He, 
for our sake, took the figure of the lowest slave, 
and voluntarily subjected Himself to the power of 
man. Through love for Him humble yourself; 
look upon every one as your master, and sincerely 
think yourself the servant of all, and in your inter- 
course with them conduct yourself like a servant. 
Then you will constantly be at rest, and have peace 
with all, and take scandal from no one. 



ST. BONA venture's MAXIMS OF PIETY. 249 

9. Be not concerned for, and meddle with nothing 
that does not benefit you spiritually. 

Engage in nothing at all that has no connection 
with the benefit of your soul. Concern yourself 
about nothing when you can gain no advantage for 
your soul. Do not permit yourself to be drawn 
into these affairs by any one. 

10. Strictly guard all your senses. 
Keep strict guard over your eyes and all the 
senses of your body in every respect. You must 
never wish to see or hear anything except what 
may benefit your soul. Likewise, be very careful 
to restrain your tongue. Never speak, unless you 
are asked or compelled by necessity or evident 
advantage. Even in this case always speak with 
a certain fear and modesty, short and humbly. 
Shun all verbosity, and every occasion thereof, if 
possible. 

11. Love solitude, and prayer in the night. 
Yearn for holy solitude, and always consider the 
practice of prayer during the night very precious. 
Offer God the sacrifice of your prayer with recollec- 
tion of spirit, with glowing devotion, and profound 
humility. 

12. Say your prayers with great devotion. 
During your prayers forget all earthly things. 
In meditation you must confine your mind persist- 
ently to the heavenly mysteries, and perform your 
prayer with such devotion, reverence, joy and fear, 
as if you were in the midst of the angelic choirs, 
and bodily in the presence of God, offering Him 
your sacrifice of praise with them. 



250 APPENDIX. 

13. Above all J have a great devotion to the Blessed 
. Virgin Mary, 

You must always, and with the greatest ardor 
venerate our glorious Queen, the Blessed Mother 
of Our Lord. In all your necessities, dangers and 
misfortunes, you must have recourse to her, ask 
for her protection, choose her for your Patroness 
and Mediatrix, and commit your affairs to her with 
confidence and humility. She is the Mother of 
mercy ; endeavor, therefore, to offer her daily a 
particular respect. But that your devotion and 
service may please her, try to imitate, with un- 
bounded zeal, her immaculate i)urity and all her 
virtues, to preserve yourself pure in body and soul, 
and walk in the path of her humility and meekness. 

14. Choose a spiritual Guide. 
Wherever you may be, always choose a saintly 
man for your spiritual Father. Let him be pious, 
prudent and learned, but more by exi^erience in 
daily life than by excellent speaking. He may lead 
you to the love of God and inflame you therewith 
by approved doctrine and effective example. Have 
recourse to him in all necessities, to find instruction 
and spiritual consolation. 

15. Avoid melancholy and sadness. 
Zealously guard yourself against despondency 
and sadness ; for this imperceptibly leads to con- 
fusion and to death. Be always cheerful and at 
ease, inwardly as well as outwardly. Contradict 
no one, resist no one in anything whatever ; but be 
satisfied with all men in everything and in every 
way, as long as it is not inconsistent with the glory 
of God and your salvation. 



ST. bonaventuee's maxims of piety. 261 

16. Take good example from all, and be scandalized 

by nothing. 
Conform all the Inclinations of your heart and 
will to the will of God. Everything must be edi- 
fying, nothing scandalous for you in the world by 
the power of the grace and purity of heart and in- 
nocence, which you have received from the bounty 
of God. Do not allow yourself to be excited beyond 
due limit by the indigence of others. Add not your 
own to foreign injustice, and do not defile yourself 
by another's sin. Take care lest you fall so much 
deeper into the abyss whilst endeavoring to liberate 
others. Whatever you cannot repair without in- 
juring yourself, cover with friendly charity, and 
commit it to that excellent Wisdom which can 
cause good to spring from evil. Thus with the 
grace of God you can gain, from the evil as well as 
from the good, profit for your spiritual growth. 

17. Guard your heart. 
Guard your heart with the greatest vigilance. 
Deliver it entirely to spiritual practices, and let no 
desire for earthly things make an impression there- 
on ; in order that, entirely detached from all 
creatures, it may freely occupy itself with the 
Creator of all. 

18. Sincerely love your neighbor. 
Perceive in every man the likeness and similitude 
of the Divine Majesty ; therefore love all men with 
a great, ardent charity. Be solicitous for all es- 
pecially for the sick, the poor and the needy 5 yet, 
in such a way that the distraction may cause no 
disadvantage to your spiritual progress. Treat all 
as a good mother treats her beloved only son. 



252 APPENDIX. 

19. Join prayer with holy deeds. 

Have you heart always in good order and united 
with God, so that all of your works, both spiritual 
and temporal, may be a true prayer. Perform all 
your duties, especially the more humble ones, with 
such love, as if you performed them for Christ in 
person. This you can and must think in all truth, 
since He Himself says in the Gospel, ^'Amen I say 
to you, as long as you did it to one of these my least 
brethren, you did it to me." (Matth. XXV. 40.) 

20. Be obedient and subject to all. 

Seek to preserve the honor and reverence due to 
all, not only to the great, but even to the very 
lowest. You must not only be obedient to your 
elders or superiors, but you must subject yourself 
to all without exception, by denying yourself for 
Christ's sake. Therefore, always endeavor to do 
the will of others in good and indifferent things. 
Molest no one in any regard ; on the contrary love 
all with the love of Christ, and show yourself kind 
and^ affable to all alike, but shun all particular 
friendships and intimate relations and conversa- 
tions. Above all beware lest you ever, by your 
speech, actions or behavior, provoke either j^our- 
self or others to anger, hatred, msult, noise, niur- 
muring, calumny, scandal, fl_attery, etc. in anyway. 

21. Keep secret your spiritual afflictions and 

consolations . 

Try to conceal as much as possible from all the 

virtues and special graces which the mercy of God 

works in or through you ; as also your afflictions, 



ST. BONAVENTUEE'S MAXIMS OF PIETY. 253 

struggles, good resolutions, etc. Only that may be 
excepted which you must tell the priest in self- 
accusation, or which you disclose to a spiritual 
friend of approved character for your own welfare. 

22. Always and everywhere think of God. 

Be entirely detached from all creatures, and 
direct the whole strength of your soul with such 
exertion and such glowing ardor, that you, as it 
were, forget all earthly things wherever you are ; 
that you think of God in all your undertakings, 
day and night, every hour, yea, every moment, and 
that you may be pierced with the belief and con- 
sciousness that you really are in His immediate 
presence, and that He sees your heart. In this 
consciousness always be filled with great reverence, 
fear and love, and guided by right distinction. At 
one time cast yourself at the feet of God in His in- 
finite majesty, and implore Him in the greatest 
bitterness of soul, to pardon your sins. At another, 
wounded by the sword of pity, stand before the 
cross of the Son of God, and amidst weeping and 
lamentations reflect upon His most holy passion 
and death. Now put the whole life of Our Ee- 
deemer as the rule of conduct before your eyes, by 
which you must correct your transgressions and 
perversity ; then again, in spirit, with careful 
meditation, contemplate the innumerable and im- 
mense benefits of God, and seized by His holy love, 
continue in fervent thanksgiving. Sometimes re- 
flect on God in all creatures, and inflame your heart 
with sweet love ; at others, meditajte on His wis- 
dom, goodness and bounty, and praise and glorify 



254 APPENDIX. 

Him with the greatest homage. Then, again, you 
may, impelled by a desire for your heavenly home, 
long for Him with ardent yearning, or, meditating 
on the all- surpassing love of God, full of joyful 
and immense wonder, lose yourself with heart and 
spirit entirely in Him. Eeview in your mind how 
you now plunge yourself into the abyss, then flee, 
then fall, and how God holds you, raises you, 
keeps you from the abjss, and draws you to Him- 
self. Eeflect, moreover, how God supports you in 
all things, despite your ingratitude, and when the 
inmost depths of His ineffable mercy are oi^ened 
to you, give yourself entirely u}) to the greatest 
love for Him, and dissolve yourself in tears. Often, 
also, reflect with care on the innumerable liidden, 
profound and secret, as also very wonderful judg- 
ments of His justice, and offer Him faithfully and 
constantlj^, in all, your most hearty adoration with 
ardent love, and with unlimited, humble, reverential 
and submissive fear. But above all, constantly 
bear in your soul and in your body the memory of 
His most holy passion, and seek as much as pos- 
sible to conform yourself to Him. 

23. Carefully avoid the snares of the devil. 

With constant vigilance be on your guard to 
render yourself secure from the wiles of the old 
enemy, with the greatest caution. For he often 
transforms himself into an angel of light, and at 
all times and in all places lays nets and snares that 
he may, if possible, entangle your soul. Beware 
of them, and become so sincerely small and in- 
significant in your own eyes by humility, that even 



ST. bonayentuee's maxims of piety. 255 

his finest nets cannot hold you. If you constantly 
look upon God with the eye of your mind, you 
will assuredly be protected from the devil's snares, 
for God, Who watches over you, never sleeps or 
becomes fatigued. 

24. Often examine your conscience^ and candidly 
confess your sins. 

To remain inflamed with the holy ardor of long- 
ing for Heaven, and to preserve the beautiful 
purity of body and soul, immaculate innocence and 
tenderness of conscience, take the greatest pains 
lest you become lukewarm or desist from the fervor 
of your beginning. For this purpose, examine 
your life every day. Since, however, there is no 
man who observes discipline and justice in such a 
way that he neglects and forgets nothing ; it is 
necessary that you very often hasten to the bath of 
penance, and accuse yourself of your sins with 
sorrow and sighs. In this self -accusation or con- 
fession you must relate and disclose to the priest, 
as if he were God, all your sins, universally, truly 
and sincerely, without covering them in any way 
with the veil of excuse, palliation or coloring. First 
mention your omissions with regard to God and 
His service, especially in regard to prayer, mental 
and vocal ; then tell the faults you have committed 
against the observance of justice towards your 
neighbor, and finally, the transgressions which 
resulted from careless watching over your senses 
and the rising thoughts. Confession, however, 
must always be accompanied by contrition and 
satisfaction, so that you are sorry for all your 
faults, not only for the great, but also for the small 



256 APPENDIX. 

ones. Your sorrow must induce you to beware 
lest you fall again into your former sins, and you 
must endeavor to remove all causes and occasions 



of sin, although they may have grown to your 
heart, and be ever so dear to you. For, in such a 
case, according to the word of Our Saviour, the 
eye that gives scandal must be torn out, that is, we 
must avoid the occasions of sin, even if they are 
very pleasing to us, and the consequences and 
effects of their avoidance displeases us very much. 
On this account the struggle in this war is so 
vehement and difficult, and on the same account 
one must, according to the command of God, be 
blind, deaf, dumb and insensible to all wherein the 
soul gains nothing. That you may be impelled the 
more to the observance of the heavenly doctrine of 
the divine commandments, and be inflamed with 
greater zeal, endeavor, at least once a day, as also 
every night, to reflect uj^on the following five points 
with attention, devotion and sincerity : how short 
human^life^; how slip])ory tlie way, how uncertain 
death, how great the reward of the good, how 
terrible the jpunishment of the wicked. In this way 
your service of Ciod w ill not be without fear, and 
your joy not without trembling. 

25. Even if we were perfect, we ought in our own 
eyes to be very poor and unworthy. 
The last is, that when you have done all things 
well by the grace of God, you acknowledge yourself 
an unworthy servant and sinner, and deem your- 
self undeserving of any kindness on the part of 
God. You must, at the same time, preserve the 
most firm faith, be full of love to God, and with 



ST. BONA VENTURE'S MAXIMS OF PIETY. 257 

great confidence hope of the all-merciful Father 
that He will show His clemency to you. In this 
way, first dig the ditch of humility, then lay in it 
the firm foundation of faith ; upon this erect shining 
walls of a continual fervent love, adorn the same 
with the images of all virtues, and finally place 
upon it the splendid roof of a most happy 
hope. If you have thus arranged the dwelling in 
your heart in every respect, the heavenly inhabi- 
tant, the sweet Guest of faithful souls. Whose joy 
it is to be with the children of men, will, during 
the present time, or rather exile, by His grace live 
within you, until at the end of this life you will, 
clothed in the bright garment of everlasting immor- 
tality, be made worthy to behold with great joy, 
and with all the saints, in the home of heavenly 
bliss the splendor of His face. There is eternal 
happiness, there the end and perfect fulfillment of 
all our desires. 

* 
Christian soul ! May you be thoroughly convinced 
that you cannot follow the footsteps of Our Divine 
Eedeemer, unless you have first perfectly denied 
yourself ,* just as you cannot, without continual 
care and labor, obtain His grace. Unless you 
knock at His gates without interruption, you can- 
not enter into the peace of the heart. If you do 
not always and zealously keep yourself in the fear 
of the Lord, you will very soon fall into the abyss. 
But if you remain faithful in all things referred to 
above, and zealously practise yourself therein, I 
hope, through the mercy of Our Eedeemer, that by 
His grace He will mai^e you worthy in the present 

17 



258 APPENDIX. 

life to obtain possession of His glory in the one to 
come. May He 'Who is One in Three Persons 
grant you this, and may He be blessed for ever 
and ever. Amen. 



IT. 

St. Bonaventure's Exhortation on the Imitation 

of Christ. 

Impress upon your heart a true image of Our 
Lord Jesus Christ: how humble He was among 
men, how kind to His disciples, how compassionate 
towards the poor, to whom He likened Himself in 
all things, and who seemed to constitute the favorite 
portion of His company. Consider, how slighting 
no one. He did not flatter the rich ; how free He 
was from the cares of this world, not anxiously 
intent upon the necessaries of life. Consider, how 
patient He was when offended, and how meek in 
His answers, not revengiug Himself by cutting 
replies, but desirous to conciliate His adversaries 
by humble and meek words; how patiently He 
bore troubles and want, and how comi^assionate 
He was towards the oi)pressed ; how He descended 
to the imperfections of others, not despising sinners ; 
how peaceful He was in His whole demeanor. 
Consider, how anxious He was for the salvation of 
souls, for whose sake He deigned to become man, 
suffer and die. Consider his fervor in prayer, and 
how ready he was to serve others. Eegard Him as 
your model in all your actions, when speaking and 
when silent, alone or in comi^any. You will thus 
enkindle your love toward Him, obtain His friend- 



ST. BONAVENTUEE'S EXHOETATION^. 



259 



ship and grace, and perfect yourself in every virtue. 
Let it be your sole desire and prayer, constantly 
to meditate on some mystery of His life, in order 
to excite yourself to love and follow Him : for the 
more we are intent upon His virtues, the nearer 
will we draw to Him, and finally we will partake 
of His heavenly glory. Amen, 




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